Monumental Marble Head of a Noble Man with a Cross on the Forehead

Culture: Roman

Period: 3rd century A.D.

Material: Marble

Dimensions: 24 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 3327

Provenance: From an old French private collection, acquired in the 1950s to 1960s. Accompanied by a French antiquities passport.

Condition: Nose missing since ancient times, the head on the front below the lower lip broken. Without any restorations.

Description: High-quality, slightly over life-size marble head depicting an elderly aristocratic man. The eyes with chiselled iris and pupils looking out from thick lids. The face with strong features, the wrinkles on the forehead and around the eyes suggest an advanced age of the portrayed person. His hair is cropped and cascades in short curls on the front and sides of the forehead and temple. The back of the head is wonderfully rounded with a crown of hair. During ancient times a cross was carved on the forehead of the Roman member of the aristocracy to once Christianise the pagan sculpture. A magnificent head of the late Imperial period. Mounted.