Roman Sculpture: Male Relief Head

Inv. No.: 80.010
Provenance: Palmyra
Date: 2nd-3rd century AD
Height: 153mm
Width: 154mm
Depth: 104 mm (maximum)
 
A male high relief frontal head with neatly carved and simplified features, including large almond-shaped eyes. These traits show the influence of Parthian art. The eyes have clearly defined lids and shallow depressions are used for the irises while the eyebrows are depicted with curved shallow grooves. The mouth is small and closed and the hair is arranged in three rows of tight curls across the head, leaving the protruding ears visible. The curls in the top row are longer, radiating from the top of the head. The background is flat and smooth. The head has been detached from the rest of the figure at the base of the neck. The top of the shoulders and some garment folds remain, probably part of a tunic and/or cloak. The face is ovoid and smooth and the neck is plump with two horizontal grooves giving a youthful impression, while the gaze is introspective, directed downwards and to his left. The white limestone has a yellowish surface with some dark blemishes especially on the right cheek. It was probably painted originally, particularly features such as the eyes and eyebrows. Tooling marks remain. It is also abraded in places revealing a white interior. The nose is damaged, especially on its right side. Other chips and abrasions are apparent on both eyebrows, the left iris, the right cheek, the neck and the chin area. A large chip is missing from the outer edge of the right ear.

Function:
This head probably comes from a funerary relief bust or full length figure on a funerary plaque or stele. A secular figure is depicted, possibly a servant or a scribe, since the ears are visible (hair usually covers the ears of deities).

Manufacture:
Carved from soft limestone using tools such as the punch or point and hammer for preliminary shaping followed by chisel work. Use of the claw chisel is suggested by fine parallel lines remaining on the surface in places. Some smoothing was probably done using a rasp.

Bibliography:
Browning, I., Palmyra, London, Chatto & Windus, 1979.

Charles Ede catalogue, 117 (1980), No. 43.

Colledge, M. A. R., The Art of Palmyra, London, Thames and Hudson, 1976, especially 58-82, 110-121.

Comparanda:
Colledge, M. A. R., The Art of Palmyra, London, Thames and Hudson, 1976, Figs. 69, 71, 73, 78, 80, 82.

Comstock, M. B. and C. C. Vermeule, Sculpture in Stone: The Greek, Roman and Etruscan Collections of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1976, Nos. 399 and 406.