TUTELA

Tutela was a protective goddess, especially for cities. Representations appear in the imperial period, especially in the western provinces; she had no strong religious or ritual traditions and provides a good example of the way the Romans created allegorical figures (her name is the Latin word for “protector, guardian”).

This silver and gilt Roman statuette shows Tutela with many allegorical symbols—an altar at her feet, a libation dish in one hand and two corncopias in the other, a mural crown (representing city walls), and a headdress with tiny busts of gods representing the days of the week. The figurine was part of a hoard of silver statuettes and coins buried in Mâcon, France after 260 CE and may have come from a sanctuary.