Recommended Free Tools
A Roman emperor’s pink garment, perfume, jewellery and carefully presented appearance could all communicate status and authority. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek’s The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire explores those signals through portrait sculpture, loans and sensory installations in Copenhagen from 1 October 2026 to 29 March 2027.
What the exhibition explores
The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek presents Roman clothing and adornment as more than decoration: they could help convey a person’s identity, social standing and political role. The exhibition brings the museum’s Roman sculpture together with international loans to show how dress, jewellery, drapery and color shaped the way people were represented. The museum describes it as the largest special exhibition on antiquity in its history, spanning more than 1,000 square metres. The museum’s exhibition page also notes contemporary interpretations by three design graduates from the Royal Danish Academy.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Smithsonian Magazine reports that the show contains 171 objects. Its headline calls attention to “hot pink togas,” but the museum describes the garment on its central portrait of Tiberius as a delicate shade of pink. That distinction matters: the display is an interpretation of evidence, not a photograph of the statue as it looked when newly made.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Why the Tiberius portrait is pink
The museum says recent research revealed that Tiberius’s garment was originally a delicate pink. It interprets the color as part of a visual statement of power, luxury and divine authority—and as a reminder that Roman color associations do not necessarily match modern gender stereotypes. Smithsonian’s 5 October 2026 report describes the garment as hot pink and attributes the interpretation to exhibition curator Cecilie Brøns.
#1 Best Overall
Roman marble sculpture was often painted, gilded or selectively colored, but its original appearance is rarely preserved intact. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s conservation overview explains that burial and later cleaning have left surviving pigment fragmentary and altered. As conservator Mark B. Abbe puts it, “Such polychromy, which was integral to the meaning and immediacy of such works, survives today only in fragmentary condition.” Those traces can support a reconstruction, but they do not always establish every detail of an original color or finish. The museum’s digital rendering of Tiberius should therefore be understood as an evidence-based reconstruction, not a definitive record of exactly how the statue once looked. The Met’s overview of Roman sculpture polychromy explains why that caution applies more broadly.
How perfume and appearance enter the story
Four scent stations, developed with Danish skincare company Karmameju, explore Roman perfume, status and ideas about gender. The exhibition’s framing includes floral fragrances associated with men on special occasions and stronger, more pungent perfumes associated with women. These are presented as historical interpretations, not as rules that every Roman followed. The museum connects fragrance to belonging and social distinction as well as personal presentation. It does not provide a complete account of the recipes or establish one scent profile for all Roman people.
Twelve listening posts draw on writings by male Roman authors, including gossip, satire and criticism of rulers’ appearance. The installation uses those texts to show how clothing and looks could become arguments about morality and leadership: a person’s appearance could be judged as evidence for or against their fitness to rule.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Notable objects and loans
The exhibition includes three Roman tunics loaned by the British Museum and a portrait sculpture of Septimius Severus wearing lionskin boots, loaned from the archaeological museum in Burdur, Türkiye. Smithsonian reports that the tunics had not previously left the British Museum and that the Severus sculpture was being shown outside Türkiye for the first time; those first-time claims are attributed to the report and may be worth confirming with the institutions when planning a visit.
Rank #3
The loans make the exhibition’s argument tangible: garments and accessories mattered not only as objects people wore, but also as visual cues attached to portraits of individuals and rulers. The Glyptotek’s English-language catalogue, also titled The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire, is a further-reading option listed by the museum.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Visiting in Copenhagen
The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire is at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen from 1 October 2026 through 29 March 2027. Check the official exhibition page for current visitor details before making plans, since dates and practical information can change.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems
