The so-called "Farnese Lar," a white marble statue of the 2nd century CE by an unknown artist, depicting the Genius Populi Romani. In Roman religion, each male individual was believed to have a genius, a personal spirit who came into existence at his birth, guided the course of his life, and departed with his death; the female counterpart was a Juno. The Roman populus as a collective whole -- imagined as male, thanks to its origins in the ideology of the citizen body as men capable of bearing arms -- had its own genius, whose favor was essential to the city's prosperity and imperial expansion. As Rome became a major power in the Mediterranean, its genius achieved prominence on coins and in other forms of visual art, corresponding to the Tyche or Fortune of Hellenistic cities.
The Farnese Lar holds a cornucopia in his left hand, symbolizing abundant good fortune, and a patera (flat serving dish) in his right, used for pouring libations and hence reflective of Roman pietas toward the gods. As with many marble statues based on bronze models, he has a supporting pillar adjacent to his right leg. Found in excavations at the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, the statue is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Naples.
Photo credit: Marie-Lan Nguyen | Wikimedia Commons | Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic