This replica reproduces a semicylindrical marble altar or architectural base associated with ancient Nicopolis, a city founded by Octavian, later Augustus, after the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. The original object combines architectural form, ritual function, and divine imagery in a single composition. Carved in high relief, it presents an ordered procession of draped gods and heroes across a curved surface, framed by a frieze of palmettes above and classical moldings below. The object is especially notable for the way it unites sculptural relief with architectural design, creating a work that was intended not only to decorate, but to shape the sacred setting in which it stood.
The original is generally understood as a Roman work connected with the monumental and cultic landscape of Nicopolis. It has often been associated with the sacred complex around Augustus’ Victory Monument at Actium, and possibly with an Altar of Apollo. The figures are usually identified as Athena, Herakles, Hera or Hebe, the Three Graces or Nymphs, Hermes, Leto, Artemis, and Apollo. Rather than illustrating a single mythological event, the relief is best read as a formal divine procession, expressing sacred presence, hierarchy, and order. Its deliberately classicizing style reinforces this impression, drawing on older Greek visual traditions to give the object an appearance of permanence, authority, and ritual dignity.
This replica is available in the following materials:
- White nylon: Polished to create a smoother surface and a cleaner overall finish. This is the most economical material option.
- Black nylon: Treated after printing and finished with Color Touch. This gives the surface a uniform black colour, good resistance to scratching and rubbing, and stable consistency between production batches.
- Bronze: Produced through a metal-casting process based on a 3D-printed master model. This method allows the replica to be made with an elegant metal appearance.
- Gold-plated brass: Produced from a 3D-printed master model using metal casting, then finished in gold-plated brass for a refined and decorative result.
- White rhodium-plated brass: Produced from a 3D-printed master model using metal casting, then finished in white rhodium-plated brass for a bright and elegant metallic surface.
Objects that are too large for the production process in a given material are produced in a reduced scale compared to the original. In some cases, hollowing is also added in order to reduce production cost and lower the final price.
