Head of Apollo (Lykeios-Cyrene type)

2nd century A.D.

Medium

Marble

Dimensions

38 cm

Status

In Museum Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-240701

Despite the severely abraded facial features on this over-life-size head, the subject can be identified as a representation of Apollo. Three details secure this identification: the full hairstyle with an upturned central braid, the downwards tilt of the head, and the still-visible remains of a hand placed casually across the top of the head. These are the standard features employed in the widely-used sculptural type known as the Apollo Lykeios, and this head is especially close to a subtype known as Apollo of Cyrene. In these representational schemas, the god is represented standing upright, with his right arm elevated and resting on his head, while the left is relaxed and leaning on a kithara (a lyre), symbolizing Apollo's role as the patron of music. While the Lykeios type may also be employed for depictions of Dionysus, the inclusion of a laurel wreath is specific to Apollo. The wreath on Apollo's head was originally decorated with a large central medallion, which is now missing. Such ornamental medallions are encountered in statues produced during the 2nd and early 3rd century CE in the Greek-speaking areas of the Roman Empire, and the drill work and hairstyle of this head com…