Antonius Pius and Faustina Joining Hands [reverse]

Filarete

National Gallery of Art

The sculpture is a circular relief depicting two seated figures facing each other. On the left, a woman with her hair tied back is dressed in a draped garment, her left hand extended to hold the right hand of the figure on the right. The figure on the right appears to be a man and is also seated, dressed in what appears to be armor or a detailed tunic. Both figures are seated on folding, X-shaped stools. The material of the sculpture is a dark bronze, with a slightly metallic sheen that highlights the intricacies and folds of the clothing and features of the figures. Around the edge of the relief, there are inscriptions in Roman script. The details of the figures are finely crafted, giving a sense of historical clothing and posture in the depiction of this interaction.