FOOT SOLDIER

Description This foot soldier was part of a group of five, almost certainly from a single funerary context. The soldier is depicted standing, legs slightly apart, with his left arm extended along his body and his right raised at elbow height- His pierced left hand probably held a shield of perishable materials; while his right, modeled with his thumb separated from the other fingers, held a weapon, perhaps a bow or a spear. Along the left side of the tunic runs a fine white line that creates a bow on the chest: it's a detail that gives the figurine a touch of individuality, compared to similar examples. It's a ribbon that, passing over and under the soldier's left shoulder, idually supported a quiver applied in relief to the back. Infantry statues like this one were mass-produced and constituted military formations placed on the front lines of the pits adjacent to important tombs.