Representations of children were popular in both public and private art during the Roman imperial period. It is uncertain whether this statue is a portrait of a specific child or was inspired by a basic type that had originated among the Greeks several centuries earlier. The boy, who has a head of curly hair, rounded cheeks, and a pudgy belly, gazes downward and to the side. It is possible that he is admiring a pet at his feet, as Roman statues of children frequently depict them with companion animals such as geese, doves, and puppies.