This rare marble stele fragment originates from the early Roman Imperial period, a time when classical Greek ideals were reinterpreted through Roman craftsmanship and civic identity. Carved in fine stone, the fragment once formed part of a larger commemorative monument, likely honoring an individual of social or civic distinction

The figure is rendered in soft contrapposto, her drapery falling in rhythmic folds that articulate both movement and restraint. The gesture of the right hand crossing the body, lightly gathering the himation, conveys quiet composure rather than theatricality—an enduring hallmark of Roman sculptural refinement. The remaining drapery retains a remarkable sense of weight and flow, allowing the material to read as both architectural and bodily

Such reliefs were not merely decorative but symbolic, marking presence, memory, and status within the civic landscape. Fragmentary yet complete in expression, this work retains its gravitas through proportion, restraint, and the quiet authority of classical form