Handle with the Figure of a Seated Baboon in Human Attire

A monkey dressed in a short belted tunic with a hood hanging at the back sits on the ground with a lantern beside him. Its long dog-like muzzle clearly identifies it as a baboon. Such creatures were a fairly common sight in Rome; smaller monkeys were kept as pets, but a larger breed such as this baboon would probably have been trained to perform in public shows. However, this creature's posture and the lantern at his side might mean that it is in fact a parody of a popular figure in small-scale Roman sculpture--the little slave, dressed in a hooded garment and carrying a lantern, who waits sleepily for his master to end his night's revels. The baboon decorates the end of a bronze handle, which takes the form of a bundle of leaves. This class of small handles decorated with comical or risqué themes are found all over the ancient world from Hellenistic into Roman times. No complete examples have been found, but suggestions include knife, razor or plectrum handles.