Head of a Grotesque

Culture: Greek

Period: 2nd-1st century B.C.

Material: Terracotta

Dimensions: 3.5 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 2051

Provenance: Collection P.A.E. Hollander, Switzerland.

Condition: One ear chipped, one fragment on the chin reattached. Some original color remains.

Description: Expressive head with grotesque face, its nose long and bulbous, its smile broad and almost contagious, the eyes half closed. Heads like this were created in Asia Minor and Egypt and widely disseminated around the Mediterranean Sea during the Hellenistic period. Probably they were used for amusement and were bought as souvenirs (for example after visiting a theatre event). A similar example see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Accession Number: 28.168.2.