Image: Bronze figure of a German Bibliothèque Nationale

Description: Roman bronze figure, discovered in the National Library in Paris, France, in the late 19th century. The Germanis is wearing a typical suebian knot hairstyle and a characteristic cloak. Bibliothèque Nationale de France Paris, Cabinet des Bédailles Paris, Invenory No. 915. Dating to 2nd half 1st century to 1st half 2nd century A.D. The history of interpretation of the figure after its discovery is interesting, as it mirrors the developing nationalism of the time. The French interpretation was as that of a German nobleman in a gesture of submission, asking a Roman legionary to spare his life. The German interpretation was that of a "praying Germanic man" (Betender Germane). More recent authors tend to favour the "French" view, as this is Roman artwork, the lost context of which presumably was not depicting Germanic religious customs but a scene of victory of the Roman army over Germanic tribesmen (Heinz Demisch, Erhobene Hände: Geschichte einer Gebärde in der bildenden Kunst, 1984, p. 167).
Title: Bronze figure of a German Bibliothèque Nationale
Credit: Own work
Author: Bullenwächter
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
License: CC BY 3.0
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