Quelques observations sur les bronzes figurés de la province romaine de Belgique

Abstract

Thanks to the material, iconographie, and stylistic examination and, in a few cases, the metallographic analysis, of the tiny bronze statuettes found in the western part of the Roman province of Belgium, one could make out one homogeneous group of 103 figurines worth bringing in parallel with the 200 representations of divinities and animals from the northern part of the province — the territory of present day Belgium — studied by G. Faider-Feytmans. One could carry out complementary observations on the scattering of the finding sites, the outlook and destination of these items, and above all on their centres of production. A few small workshops have been recorded in the northern part of the province : nothing similar in the western part : Yet, a typological analysis of the statuettes brings evidence of the circulation of a luxury production in the civitas remorum and its imitation with more rudimentary devices in the neighbouring civitates. This might be an evidence of centres of production. Last of all, the moulding of the different statuettes along the same very specialized types might betray the existence of a network of stores selling and mending an imported production, once it was adapted to the local taste.