Marble Head of Young Dionysus of the Type “Horti Lamiani”

Culture: Roman

Period: 170-190 A.D.

Material: Marble

Dimensions: 27.3 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 3572

Provenance: US collection David F. Hoff (1948-2021), acquired prior to 1997. With a copy of a valuation of the collection dated 10 March 1997 by Gerald Tomlin Antiques, Dallas, which depicts a photo of the head.

Condition: Nose knocked off in ancient time, minor wear, a small restoration on the lower lip. Overall, a magnificent head with remains of ancient polish.

Description: Lifesize and very charming marble head of young Dionysus. The god with fine, almost female features looks vigilantly, softly smiling straight ahead. His mouth is slightly open, the eyes sit behind thick lids, cheeks and chin are smooth and well-shaped. His wavy hair is tightly pulled back to a bun. He wears a filet, on top a magnificent headdress of wine- and ivy leaves with grapes and corymbs. On the sides thick bundles of grapes cascade over temples and ears. The youthful Dionysus with a hair wreath of fruits and leaves corresponds to the famous typus “Horti Lamiani”, dating to the Antonine period. The Horti Lamiani was a luxurious estate on the Esquiline Hill in Rome, where as early as the 16th century magnificent marble statues were found, including the eponymous Dionysus (Bacchus), which is now in the Palazzo dei Conservatori. Another head of the same type is in the Capitoline Museum with the inventory number MC 1129. Mounted.