People of African origin, whether enslaved or free, were a regular presence in major cities such as Rome and Alexandria during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. This statuette explores both the emotional condition and the ethnic character of an African captive, exemplifying artists' interest in realistically representing the cosmopolitan diversity of their expanding world.

Carved out of highly polished black stone, the small figure displays features characteristic of an ethnic African, including high cheekbones, a broad nose, large deep-set eyes, thick lips, and tightly curled hair radiating in rows from the top of the head. He wears a belt around his nude body, and his ears are pierced for metal earrings (now lost). The meticulous articulation of his bony body and the precise way his feet meet, with big toes playfully overlapping, suggest that the artist may have observed a particular individual directly. Shackled around the ankles, the youth conveys determined resistance to captivity through his puffed-up cheeks, clenched fists, and taut body.

The compact form of this seated figure was roughly hollowed out to serve as a box; a cover once slid into a groove on the underside of the square base. A number of similar containers in the shape of African captives have been found in clay, bronze, and stone. Apparently a popular stereotype, these figures may give visual expression to a common Roman nickname for slaves-"he who waits." The use of African subjects to decorate utilitarian objects (inkwells, oil jars, pepper casters, and so on) surely plays on their role as servants. Some may also have functioned as toys, since elite children often played with slaves their own age.

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