Portrait of a Flavian Lady

A.D. 70–90

Medium

Italian marble

Dimensions

28 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-232766

The portrayed woman adopts a serious expression. Her lips are thin and slightly downturned; the eyes are narrow. The face has a slightly heavy appearance because of the rounded appearance of the cheeks and chin and extra skin hanging under the jaw. She wears the elaborate coiffure of the Flavian period with an immensely tall tower of hair that also extends down the side of her face in front of the ears. The tight pincurls are rendered with drill holes of varying sizes and spiraling incisions. Behind the tower of hair, the locks are rendered through the carving of undulating ridges and are pulled toward the back of the head. The back is flat with the remains of an iron pin in the center, though it is cut at an angle, perhaps suggesting that the head was turned within its statue. A drill has been used to separate the wig from the face and for the nostrils. Some incrustation is present on the right side of the face and in the hair. The nose has broken off and the head is broken at the top of the neck. The marble is white with a gray patina.