The large relief on the back of the block shows Aphrodite rising from the sea (or the birth of Venus Anadyomene) with the help of two assistants. On the side panels are a nude woman with crossed legs playing the aulas (double flute) and a cloaked woman with an incense burner. These are generally interpreted as priestesses of Aphrodite and representing profane and sacred love.
Visit the Palazzo Altemps in central Rome to see a small but fantastic collection of top sculptures from antiquity displayed in a historic palace of the National Roman Museum.