Happy wife, happy life, right? Tech mogul Mark Zuckerberg has gone above and beyond to express his administration for his wife, Priscilla Chan, gifting her an enormous sculpture depicting her likeness in a nod to Roman tradition. “Bringing back the Roman tradition of making sculptures of your wife,” Zuckerberg, 40, captioned a post on Instagram Tuesday with a photo of his better half standing in their garden beside the massive, detail-attentive piece. Chan, 39, donned a pink robe next to the massive turquoise statue, which features a wind-blown silver garment that seemingly depicts angel wings as she sips from a mug that complements the sculpture’s pasty but vibrant blue-to-green color.
The Facebook founder shared that he commissioned world-renowned sculptor and artist Daniel Arsham, who has famously collaborated with brands like Tiffany & Co. and Pokémon, to create the piece. Arsham’s creation for the Meta CEO’s wife appears to be made of crystal and volcanic ash , similar to a sculpture the artist created for an exhibition at the Venice church, Chiesa di Santa Caterina, in September.
Since posting the picture, which has amassed over 170k likes since Tuesday morning, many applauded Zuckerberg for bestowing his wife with the thoughtful gift. “Husbands everywhere are shaking,” commented one Instagram user. “Setting the bar high for all the husbands out there markiepoo,” wrote another.
“Was literally about to get the same thing for my wife. Now I have to pivot,” another user joked. The tradition of sculpting women, especially wives, was based on the Roman ideal of “pietas,” which emphasized duty, loyalty, and devotion to family, the gods, and the state, according to the Roman Empire Times .
The outlet shared that a wife’s sculpture often represented her embodiment of these virtues, publicly showcasing her “moral integrity, fertility, and loyalty to her husband and family.” The wealthiest families in Rome could afford to commission these statues, emphasizing valued qualities in Roman society, such as virtue, modesty, and physical beauty. The price of the piece remains a secret between Zuckerberg and Arsham.
The billionaire couple first met at a college party while attending Harvard in 2003. They tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony in May 2012 at their home in Palo Alto, Calif., three years before having their first child, Maxima.
Later, the couple would welcome daughters August and Aurelia. Last month, Zuckerberg and Chan were seen gushing over Indian billionaire Anant Ambani’s $1 million watch during an opulent pre-wedding bash held in Jamnagar this weekend. Video taken during the lavish pre-wedding party attended by more than 1,000 global billionaires, heads of state and A-list celebrities shows Chan asking Ambani about his “fantastic” luxury timepiece made by Richard Mille.
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