This collection includes stone masterpieces such as the monumental second-century imperial cuirassed statue of the emperor Trajan and the late-second-century sarcophagus depicting an Amazonomachy, as well as smaller household objects in bronze, glass, and terracotta. Thematic groups focusing on portraiture, everyday life, funerary arts, and public entertainment present these objects in context.

For the first time since its opening in 1985, the Roman art gallery on the fourth floor of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum was re-installed in September 1999. This important teaching collection includes a number of stone masterpieces, including the monumental statue of Emperor Trajan (2nd century), and the lively late second century sarcophagus depicting the battle between the Greeks and the Amazons, as well as dozens of smaller household objects in bronze, glass, terracotta, and bone. The exhibition is organized into thematic groups—Portraiture, Everyday Life, Funerary Arts, and Gambling, Spectacles & the Taste for the Exotic—to place the objects in context. Used on a daily basis by students and scholars from around the world, this collection serves as a crucial resource for the study of classical art and culture at Harvard, and beyond.