A Syrian Basalt Torso of Athena, Roman Imperial, circa 2nd Century A.D.

striding and wearing a chiton, himation billowing at the sides, and aegis with gorgoneion.

William Bowmore, Australia, acquired in the 1970s

"The Fine Art of Giving: 90 Masterpieces from the William Bowmore Collection," Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide, November 2nd, 1999 - April 1st, 2000

Ron Radford, The Fine Art of Giving: 90 Masterpieces from the William Bowmore Collection, Adelaide, 1999, p. 77, illus.

As shown. Much of the top and upper back are broken away. The drapery in back is only roughly worked out. The front is somewhat pitted and there are small holes which probably pre-existed in the stone. Somewhat weathered and encrusted. Large chips to ends of billowing drapery.
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For another basalt torso of Athena from the Hauran see M. Dentzer and J. Dentzer-Fedy, Le Djebel al-Arab: histoire et patrimoine au Musée de Suweida, Paris, 1991, no. 566. For more closely related examples of basalt female torsos with clinging and billowing drapery, most likely representing Nike, see M. Dunand, Mission archéologique au Djebel Druze. Le Musée de Soueïda, Paris, 1934, pls. Also see a statue of Nike from the Hauran in the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul (G. Mendel, Catalogue des sculptures, grecques, romaines et byzantines, vol. III, Constantinople, 1914, repr. Rome, 1966, no. 1399).

In Syria Athena was often identified with the local war goddess Allat (D. Sourdel, Les cultes du Hauran à l'époque romaine, Paris, 1956, pp. 69-74, and P. Figueras, "The Roman Worship of Athena-Allat in the Decapolis and the Negev," ARAM, vol. 4, 1992, pp. 173-183).