A Roman Marble Portrait Head of a Veiled Woman

Circa 1st Century A.D.

Height 8 1/2 inches (21.6 cm).

Property from a Midwestern Institution

Provenance:

Private Collection, New York, prior to 1983.

Property of a Midwestern institution (Acc. no. 1983.4.60a)

Showing the smooth countenance of a woman, this sculpted head is timeless by design. Once part of a life-sized statue, the voluminous folds of the woman’s mantle would have draped around her body and shoulders before being drawn up at the rear to partially cover her hair in a gesture signaling piety and modesty. The coiffure itself is an ornate configuration of curly strands rolled into rows, pulled back from the brow, and gathered behind in a chignon, creating a ribbed effect termed by scholars as the melonfrisur (‘melon-hairdo’). This distinctive hairstyle originated in Late Classical Greece, where it was deployed to great effect by the master sculptor Praxiteles. Elements of the facial structure, too, reflect this epoch: a somewhat low, triangular forehead, the sharply defined line of the brows descending to a straight nose, and the heavily lidded almond-shaped eyes.

These elements were deployed throughout the Hellenistic and Roman periods for depictions of goddesses and queens. Here, the stark frontality suggests a Roman date as does the manner with which the running drill fully separates the lips. The surface is covered by a yellowed, oxidized patina which obscures a white marble with sugary crystals, characteristic of the Greek islands. Although Roman in manufacture, the spirit of the head - if not the material it was carved from - harkens back to the Hellenic past.

Inspected under UV light and 10x loupe. Surface wear and erosion present throughout. Some encrustations particularly in hair tendrils. Uneven surface patination with areas of orange discoloration. Several chips, gashes, and abrasians throughout, particularly along the edges of the veil and neck. Modern steel dowel drilled into bottom of the neck. Accession number painted "1983.4.60" on bottom surface. Overall in fine and stable condition. See additonal images.

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Please email [email protected] for any additional information or questions you may have regarding this lot.

Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

[email protected]312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

Antiquities & Ancient Art

A Roman Marble Portrait Head of a Veiled Woman

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