This nude statue of Aphrodite is known as "Lely's Venus". Now in the British Museum Lely's Venus was sculpted in the 2nd century A.D.
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of beauty and love. She is often shown nude or semi-nude, often with a hand to help with modesty. Statues of Aphrodite are often called Venus, which is a Roman name. There are many stories in Greek mythology about Aphrodite -- especially of her loves, but also of her birth.
