# Paus Trajan

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Bust of Antinous

Bust of Trajan The bust in 2017 Subject Trajan Location National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway

The **Paus Trajan** is a [marble](/source/Marble) portrait head of the Roman emperor [Trajan](/source/Trajan), who ruled from 98 to 117 AD. It is part of the [Paus collection](/source/Paus_collection) of the [National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design](/source/National_Museum_of_Art%2C_Architecture_and_Design) in Oslo, Norway. The Paus collection, the largest private collection of ancient Roman art in Northern Europe, was donated by papal chamberlain, art collector and count [Christopher Tostrup Paus](/source/Christopher_de_Paus) to the [National Gallery](/source/National_Gallery_(Norway)) from 1918.[1]

## History

It is made of fine crystalline white marble, and has a height 32.7 cm. It was reworked during Trajan's reign from an older portrait, possibly a portrait of [Domitian](/source/Domitian) (81–96 AD), and is a [Decennalia](/source/Decennalia) type portrait of Trajan, one of around fifty surviving busts of him and one of several Decennalia portraits of him.[1]

The bust was acquired by Christopher Tostrup Paus who amassed the largest private collection of ancient Roman art in [Northern Europe](/source/Northern_Europe). Paus spent several years in [Rome](/source/Rome) where he was appointed a papal chamberlain and count. From 1918 he donated large parts of the collection to the National Gallery, with additional donations in the following years, including the Trajan portrait in 1923.[2][3][4] It was the first original Roman imperial portrait in Norwegian ownership. [Samson Eitrem](/source/Samson_Eitrem) wrote that "it excellently complements the other portraits of the Paus collection, busts which for the most part belong to the earliest imperial period."[5]

From 1923 to 2019 the portrait was on display on the first floor of the old National Gallery building, until being moved to the new National Museum building that opened in 2022. [Samson Eitrem](/source/Samson_Eitrem) published a catalogue of the Paus collection and other ancient sculptures with a detailed description of the bust in 1927.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Eitrem1927_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Eitrem1927_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Eitrem1927_1-2) [Samson Eitrem](/source/Samson_Eitrem) (1927). [*Antikksamlingen*](http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2014112008153). [Nasjonalgalleriet](/source/National_Gallery_(Norway)).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** "Hva Nasjonalgalleriet skylder kammerherre Paus", *[Aftenposten](/source/Aftenposten)*, 13 September 1943, p. 3

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Dag Solhjell (1995). *Kunst-Norge: en sosiologisk studie av den norske kunstinstitusjonen*. Oslo: Universitetsforlaget

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Haakon Shetelig (1944). *Norske museers historie*. Oslo: Cappelen

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Samson Eitrem](/source/Samson_Eitrem) (1923-12-22). ["Keiser Trajan i marmor"](http://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digavis_aftenposten_null_null_19231222_64_751_2). *Aftenposten*. p. 5. Den supplerer paa en utmerket maate de portrætter, som Paus-samlingen før eier, byster som for den altoverveiende del hører til ældste keisertid.

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