Le monde gallo-romain 4

His melancholic face is very expressive. He is dressed in a tunic covered by a typically Gallic cloak with short sleeves and a V-shaped collar. The child holds a puppy against his chest with both hands; the puppy has a short muzzle, an open mouth with its tongue hanging out, and ears folded forward.

The dog may serve both as an intermediary to gain the favor of a deity—through the offering of a puppy—and as a guide in the afterlife (a psychopomp animal). One can interpret the pilgrim who deposited this statue either as expressing a desire to ensure the health of their offspring or as making a plea for protection in the afterlife for a deceased child.