Head fragment (sculpture)
Category
Art / Sculpture
Date
Unknown
Materials
Marble
Measurements
230 mm (H)220 mm (W)200 mm (D)
Order this imageCollection
Downhill, County Londonderry
NT 180515.2
Summary
Fragment of the back of the head of a bearded man preserved in two fragments comprising the face and head from the temples back. Probably of marble from Carrara. The hair and beard style as well as carving technique are typical of the Antonine period; the portrait of the Emperor Antoninus Pius (AD 138-161) shows similar fashion and sculpting. This head has marvelous details such as the finely engraved beard hair on the cheeks or the naturalistic build-up of locks over the right temple. The head was once an impressive work.