< Back to Archive
|
Roman marble head of a male
|
 |
This item has been sold and is for reference only. |
Roman marble head of a male. This is a powerfully rendered portrait of a priest of Isis, larger than life size. Depicted with a wide brow wrinkled into a slight frown, the broad cheeks somewhat sunken, with a small chin and fleshy neck. Above the right forehead the massive dome of the shaven head is incised with a cross (possibly for inlay) and the crown of the head cut for a circular inlay.
The scar identifies the position of this man as a priest of Isis. The Egyptian goddess rose to become a leading deity of the Mediterranean world during the Hellenistic Period, following the establishment of Macedonian-Ptolemaic rule in Egypt. By the second century AD the Isis cult was extremely powerful in Rome as attested by the remains of numerous temples throughout the empire; the most perfectly preserved of which is at Pompeii. Several characteristics distinguish the cult from other Greek and Roman cults, chiefly the regular ritual and the appearance of a professional priesthood. Always shown with shaven heads, earlier portraits of priests wear a rolled diadem (compare E. Harrison, "The Athenian Agora - Vol I, Portrait Sculpture". Princeton 1953, pl 3). But portraits from the Roman period dispense with the head-dress, instead showing the scar of the kind found on this piece. 1st - 2nd century AD. Cf. Susan Walker and Peter Higgs, 'Cleopatra of Egypt from History to Myth'. Exhibition catalogue, British Museum, London 200, No. 348, p. 329. Ex: Private Collection, France < Back |
| Rupert Wace Ancient Art . 14 Old Bond Street, London W1S 4PP - Email: info@rupertwace.co.uk | |
