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Head of a woman
Roman
Imperial Period
about A.D. 120
Medium/Technique
Marble, dolomitic marble from the Greek island of Thasos
Dimensions
Overall: 27.9 × 28.6 × 26.7 cm (11 × 11 1/4 × 10 1/2 in.)
Mounted: 45.7 cm (18 in.)
Mounted: 45.7 cm (18 in.)
Credit Line
Bartlett Collection—Museum purchase with funds from the Francis Bartlett Donation of 1900
Accession Number03.744
CollectionsAncient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSculpture
Catalogue Raisonné
Sculpture in Stone (MFA), no. 349; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 115 (additional published references).
DescriptionPortrait head of a woman. The face has an oval shaped with full cheeks and blemish-free skin. Her eyes are almond-shaped with thick lids set below lightly feathered eyebrows. She has thin lips framed by light naso-labial lines. Her dimpled chin protrudes slightly. Venus rings are evident on the neck. The wavy hair framing the figure’s face flares upward in a dramatic fashion, creating a halo-like effect. The individual locks of hair are defined by use of the drill. The hairstyle is reminiscent of that worn by imperial women from the early Flavian period, specifically Julia Titi, daughter of the emperor Titus (r. 79-81). The highly textured hair with its pockets of shadow created by the drill are juxtaposed with the smooth skin of the figure’s face. At the back of the head, the hair is gathered into a bun of curly locks, situated below the crown but above the nape. The center of each curl in the bun has been punched out with the drill.
The upper portion of the hair was made separately and is now missing. There are two round sockets that would have been used to attach the missing hairpiece. A large crack on top of the head was repaired with a clamp. The upper portion of the ears are broken and the tip of the nose is restored. The head has been broken off at the base of the neck.
Scientific Analysis:
Marble has been scientifically tested with X-Ray Diffraction and determined to be Dolomitic.
Harvard Lab No. HI359: Isotope ratios - delta13C +3.52 / delta18O -3.59, Attribution - Thasos-Cape Vathy, Justification - Dolomitic by XRD.
The upper portion of the hair was made separately and is now missing. There are two round sockets that would have been used to attach the missing hairpiece. A large crack on top of the head was repaired with a clamp. The upper portion of the ears are broken and the tip of the nose is restored. The head has been broken off at the base of the neck.
Scientific Analysis:
Marble has been scientifically tested with X-Ray Diffraction and determined to be Dolomitic.
Harvard Lab No. HI359: Isotope ratios - delta13C +3.52 / delta18O -3.59, Attribution - Thasos-Cape Vathy, Justification - Dolomitic by XRD.
ProvenanceBy date unknown: with Edward Perry Warren (according to Warren's records: Bought in Rome.); March 24, 1903: purchased by MFA from Edward Perry Warren