Funerary relief Vettia Hospita and Lucius Vettius Alexander

Funerary relief made by Vettia Hospita for her husband Lucius Vettius Alexander and her daughter Vettia Polla. The monument represents Vettius and his wife in the act of the dextrarum iunctio. Behind them there are two smaller busts. In Rome, the joining of the right hands of two parties, known as dextrarum iunctio, was a flexible motif with several connotations. Besides the themes of meeting and parting, the handclasp signified harmony, affinity, friendship, and loyalty (Tac. Hist. 1.54.1, 2.8.2). As the right hand was consecrated to the deity of fidelity, in scenes of a political nature the handclasp represented political concord at the conclusion of a contract.