This volume documents and contextualises fragments of copper-alloy statuary from the Raetian sector of the Roman limes and its provincial hinterland, dating from the first to the third centuries c.e. Over 5,000 fragments of copper-alloy statuary have been found along the German and Raetian frontier, including over 2,000 pieces from the cavalry fort at Aalen alone. Many appear to come from large military or imperial statues, though some may be deities, testament both to the quantity and quality of cast bronze sculpture in this region. The book results from Piccioni’s postdoctoral research (2019–21) at KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. It builds on earlier cataloguing work by Sascha Heckmann and Claudia Sarge, and incorporates new discoveries, continuing and extending the Römische Großbronzen am UNESCO-Welterbe Limes project (2010–15; http://grossbronzenamlimes.de). The Raetian corpus can be analysed alongside German and British finds to illuminate patterns in the production, display and deposition of large-scale bronze statuary across the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire, advancing understanding of regional variation and shared sculptural practices.
After a brief introduction, setting out overviews of previous studies and the present methodology (ch. 1), most of the book is dedicated to a catalogue and deeper analysis of fragments from specific sites (ch. 2). Arranged geographically, discussion starts in the west of the study region and moves to the east, drawing in relevant parallels to aid identification and analysis as required, and sets the pieces within their site and chronological context. Surviving fragments are mostly rather small, but some identifiable pieces emphasise the military connections of many of the statues: a hand, a nose, fingers, pteryges, eagle-headed sword pieces, a horse’s hoof, or saddle blanket. In some places Piccioni has attempted to group fragments together to form more complete sculptures or to identify secondary deposited recycling caches, also rightly emphasising the difficulty of interpretation presented by such fragmentary remains.
New additions to the database are documented in ch. 3, the main portion of which derive from the eastern fort at Straubing. Now in a private collection, these probably represented an equestrian statue of late Antonine date set up near a gateway. Metallurgical analysis (Chapter 4 and Appendix, by Ronald Schwab) allows for associations between fragments and offers insights into the manufacturing process. Stable isotope analysis indicated sources of the raw material in Britain, Gaul, Germany and, interestingly, Italy, highlighting complex supply networks and suggesting avenues for further research.
Chs 5, 6 and 7 draw some initial conclusions. Ch. 5 sets observations of the Raetian pieces within broader traditions, identifying specific local adaptations of Classical form or motif, such as the Arimasp and griffin piece from Künzing; ch. 6 considers changing meanings that may be associated with these observations, tracking for instance the adaptation of horned griffins and Gorgoneion from the statue of Mars Ultor now in the Capitoline Museums; and ch. 7 discusses the development of Raetian workshops or manufacturing sites.
The ambitions of the project and Piccioni’s command of relevant parallels are impressive. The geographic framing, organising discussion site by site from west to east, provides a navigable structure that even non-German speakers can readily follow. The inclusion of images for virtually every piece (albeit some reproduced a little blurry or dark) ensures the volume functions as a reference and visual catalogue. The integration of metallurgical analysis and isotopic data alongside more traditional typological, iconographic and archaeological context represents a model of synthetic methodology that can be employed in future studies.
It is a shame that the online database (http://grossbronzenamlimes.de/datenbank.html) is currently unavailable as there is otherwise no summary table of data within the volume. This would offer the ability to cut the data in alternative ways, for instance, chronologically, typologically, by circumstances of deposition (though the pie-chart of find spots within the site at Künzing on p. 149 is helpful and interesting), and so on, and to draw further conclusions. An introductory map plotting the major sites would also help readers less familiar with the regional landscape.
Nonetheless, the material presented in this volume, and in the broader German limes bronzes project, opens up possibilities for future interpretation, for instance engaging with ongoing debates on fragmentation, circumstances of deposition, the social life of statuary, or the characterisation of military sites. Moving beyond the Classical/Celtic dichotomy, the Raetian and German fragments offer insight into how local aesthetic choices or technical ability shaped the presentation of (imperial) imagery within military contexts. They also provide useful reference and parallel interpretive material for the quantity of finds of large-scale Roman bronze statuary discovered in Britain (see B. Croxford (2016) ‘Metal sculpture from Roman Britain: scraps but not always scrap’, pp. 27–46 in L. Stirling and T. M. Kristensen, The Afterlife of Greek and Roman Sculpture: Late Antique Responses and Practices; and P. Coombe, J. Pearce, K. Libby (2019) ‘A fragment of a monumental bronze statue, Lincoln’, Britannia 50, pp. 349–59 for further references).
Overall, Römische Großbronzen am Limes: Fragmente im raetischen Raum makes a significant contribution to our understanding of large-scale bronze imagery and imperial representation in a frontier setting. Its robust catalogue, combined with scientific analyses, ensures it will remain a reference for Raetian bronzes for scholars of Roman art in provincial contexts.
