Lot 11
**First Time At Auction**
Ancient Egypt, Romano-Egyptian Period, ca. 3rd to 4th century CE. Finely carved and skillfully painted, a polychrome limestone head of a youth delineated in very high relief (nearly in the round save the flat verso) presenting a male with a sincere expression comprised of wide open black-lined eyes and arched brows characteristic of Egyptian traditions, but also featuring a newfound naturalism in the fleshy quality of the tawny red painted face with its soft contours and realistic nose and lips. In addition, the coiffure resonates with contemporary Greco-Roman styles, as following the conquest of Egypt and its absorption by the Roman Empire, a cultural exchange between Egyptians and Romans ensued. Hence, we see a more illusionistic approach in this funerary sculpture. Size: 7.625" W x 10.125" H (19.4 cm x 25.7 cm); 16.25" H (41.3 cm) on included custom stand.
Heads like this one reflect the profound change that the Greco-Roman world brought to Egypt. The naturalistic depiction of a person's face as either a mask or head replaced the stylized art of dynastic Egypt; hieroglyphs and other symbols painted on elaborate sarcophagi fell out of favor, and a head like this would have been a memorial alongside a simple wooden coffin. These heads were reserved for the elite, who were buried in small chapels, usually mummified and with other members of their family and/or town. Funerary heads like this represented a dramatic change, departing from centuries of tradition. For the first time in the Roman period, Egyptian mummies were buried with lifelike representations rather than the mummiform masks seen in previous periods.
Provenance: ex-private TS collection, San Diego County, California, USA acquired between 25 and 40 years ago
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#140619
- Condition: Expected surface wear with areas of pigment loss as shown, though much remains, abrasions to the top of the head and high-pointed areas, and losses to the neckline. The verso was left flat intentionally.
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