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Head of a bearded man
Byzantine
Late Roman or Early Byzantine
about A.D. 150–192; first recut about A.D. 210–267; second recut about A.D. 400
Place of Manufacture: Greece, Attica, Athens
Medium/Technique
Marble from Mt. Pentelikon, near Athens
Scientific Analysis:
University of South Florida Lab No. 8445: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.3 / delta18O -7.3
Attribution - Mt. Pentelikon near Athens. Justification - C and O isotopes, fine grain, pure white, said to be from Athens
Scientific Analysis:
University of South Florida Lab No. 8445: Isotope ratios - delta13C +2.3 / delta18O -7.3
Attribution - Mt. Pentelikon near Athens. Justification - C and O isotopes, fine grain, pure white, said to be from Athens
Dimensions
Height: 46.3 cm (18 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
John H. and Ernestine A. Payne Fund
Accession Number62.465
CollectionsEurope, Ancient Greece and Rome
ClassificationsSculpture
Catalogue Raisonné
Sculpture in Stone (MFA), no. 381; Sculpture in Stone and Bronze (MFA), p. 116 (additional published references).
DescriptionPortrait head of a man. His hairstyle is rendered with short, harsh strokes of the chisel and conforms to the shape of his skull. He has a prominent widow’s peak and the hairline rises over the flesh of the forehead. The ears are sunken into the sides of the head. The almond-shaped eyes are large and flat, with plastically rendered irises and pupils. They are set beneath arched eyebrows that have been carved by short chisel strokes and his brows are heavily furrowed. The eyes, which are narrow and almond-shaped with thick lids, are set deep within their sockets and have heavy bags beneath them. The flesh of the face is highly polished. What remains of the nose is broad and short. The mouth is small with a thin lower lip. In contrast to the hair, the beard is long and wavy. Over the cheeks, individual locks have been carved out with the drill. Beneath the chin, however, the beard was carved primarily with the chisel resulting in a heavy, mass-like quality. The moustache is composed of long strands of hair that lay flat and obscure the upper lip. The technical execution of the beard, hairstyle, and eyes are at variance with each other, indicating that they likely belong to three distinct periods of carving.
The nose and right eye have been damaged. The hair and beard exhibit some abrasions and traces of a cement deposit. A substantial section of the back of the neck has been chipped away up to the hairline at the nape of the neck. This removal occurred in antiquity and is likely part of a secondary display context.
The nose and right eye have been damaged. The hair and beard exhibit some abrasions and traces of a cement deposit. A substantial section of the back of the neck has been chipped away up to the hairline at the nape of the neck. This removal occurred in antiquity and is likely part of a secondary display context.
ProvenanceBy date unknown: said to have been found in a well at Agia Paraskevi in Corinth, close to Athens, in the area of an Early Christian basilica; by 1962: with J. J. Klejman, 982 Madison Avenue, New York; purchased by MFA from J. J. Klejman, May 9, 1962