Bronze Hand, Roman Ship Decoration

Illustration

Mark Cartwright
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published on 17 December 2013
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Bronze Hand, Roman Ship Decoration

These bronze hands would have decorated the end beams of a Roman ship. They were placed at the end of beams running parallel with the ship's long axis, two either side and with the arm horizontal and thumb pointing upwards. They were believed to ward off evil. This example dates to 37-41 CE. (Palazzo Massimo, Rome)

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About the Author

Mark Cartwright
Mark is a history writer based in Italy. His special interests include pottery, architecture, world mythology and discovering the ideas that all civilizations share in common. He holds an MA in Political Philosophy and is the Publishing Director at WHE.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Cartwright, M. (2013, December 17). Bronze Hand, Roman Ship Decoration. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2193/bronze-hand-roman-ship-decoration/

Chicago Style

Cartwright, Mark. "Bronze Hand, Roman Ship Decoration." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified December 17, 2013. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2193/bronze-hand-roman-ship-decoration/.

MLA Style

Cartwright, Mark. "Bronze Hand, Roman Ship Decoration." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 17 Dec 2013. Web. 23 Oct 2021.