Collectible Singletons

A significant number of Pompeian domestic sculptural collections highlight single works rather than multiples of similar material, size, and quality. A local secondary market in antiques or replicas may account for the use of single pieces (as opposed to the use of matched sets), but decorative concerns such as “branding” a certain domestic space—atrium or garden—by means of a striking visual effect may provide a better explanation for the existence of “singletons.”