Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth
Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth

Roman Marble Relief Fragment with Head of a Youth

17486

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Roman Imperial, Asia Minor, circa 2nd–3rd century A.D.

A compelling fragment of a finely carved Roman white marble relief, preserving the upper torso and head of a youthful male figure rendered in profile with sensitively modeled features, parted lips, and a finely tousled mane of curling locks worked with the running drill in the manner characteristic of Antonine and Severan Asia Minor workshops. The deep undercutting of the hair and the crisp drill channels create dramatic light-and-shadow effects typical of high-quality Eastern Roman relief sculpture, while the unfinished/roughly picked back indicates the piece originally formed part of a larger architectural or sarcophagus composition.

Reliefs of this scale and handling are most often associated with the great Asia Minor sarcophagus workshops centered on Dokimeion (modern Phrygia) and the Aegean coast, whose elaborately carved column- and garland-sarcophagi were exported throughout the Roman Mediterranean during the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D.. The orange-brown ferrous staining at the upper edge is residue from an ancient iron clamp or pin, evidence of the original architectural assembly and a commonly seen authentication marker on Roman marble.

Dimensions: 4¾ in. W × 7 in. H × 1½ in. D (12 × 17.8 × 3.8 cm); presented on a custom black wood and metal display mount

Condition: Fragmentary as expected; pleasing weathered surface, edge chips and abrasions consistent with age, residual iron-oxide staining from ancient pinning, back roughly worked

Provenance: Ex New England Private Collection, Acquired Sotheby, Parke Bernet Inc, Thurs Dec 13th 1979, lot 361 illustrated. 

 

Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

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