Cast of part of frieze showing a bucranium, garland, and rosette, late 18th century/early 19th century

From: Temple of Vesta, Tivoli

RA Collection: Art

On free display in The Dorfman Architecture Court

The cast is taken from the frieze of the Round Temple at Tivoli. This elegant temple was converted to a church and still stands today. It is called the Temple of Vesta because of its shape as all temples honouring Vesta were in the round.

This cast from the frieze includes a bucranium or bull’s head with a garland and a rosette. Bull’s heads or even the skulls of bulls were often used as decorative motifs as these animals were often killed as sacrifices in religious ceremonies.

The Temple first appeared in publications at the end of the 17th century and the building was much admired in the 18th and 19th centuries. Giovanni Battista Piranesi for instance made numerous drawings of the temple.

The RA also has casts of two of the capitals from the Round Temple, 11/2881 and 11/2885.