SculptureRoman3rd-4th century CE

Head of a Man

3rd-4th century

Description

Currently fragmentary, this head of a man may have originally been part of a funerary monument. The face is frontal; the man's eyes and eyebrows are carved in simple lines and circles. The modeling of the face below the eyes is more natural, with high cheekbones, sunken cheeks, deep lines on either side of the nose and mouth, and closed lips with a slightly frowning expression. The nose is broken. The hair of the figure is simple, with thick locks separated by simple wavy lines. The ears are large and prominent, with the anatomical details simply rendered. Cuts and abrasions are present all over the face; the surface of the jaw shows chisel marks that may be meant to represent a beard.

Classification

Sculpture

Technique

Carved

Medium

Limestone

Culture

Roman

Period

Roman Imperial period, Late

Century

3rd-4th century CE

Division

Asian and Mediterranean Art

Department

Department of Ancient and Byzantine Art & Numismatics

Dimensions

27.94 cm (11 in.)

Provenance

[Charles Dikran Kelekian, New York 1968 ] sold; to The Alice Corinne McDaniel Collection, Department of the Classics, Harvard University (1965-2012) transfer; to The Harvard Art Museums, 2012.