Antico Greco, Ellenistico Marmo Testa di un sovrano ellenistico - 16.5 cm

Marble head of a ruler, probably Ptolemy V or VI
Greek, hellenistic period, 3rd-2nd century B.C.

Sculpted approximately half-lifesized, his oval head sligthly inclined to the right, almond-shaped eyes, heavy lids, slender nose, rounded chin and small mouth with parted lips, the curls of his short wavy hair summarily rendered and bound in a diadem; two drill holes on top of the head for the now lost diadem
16.5 cm. high

Note
Two grooves along the top of this head originally held a royal diadem, presumably made of bronze, and indicates that the man represented is a ruler. A number of royal portraits can be grouped around the Egyptian Greek kings of the second and early first centuries B.C. (Ptolemies IV-VIII), but a precise identification is often difficult because many of these marble portraits were clearly reworked to represent the next king who seized power. In addition, some of the finer marble likenesses, including the head under consideration, were strongly idealized thus further hampering an accurate identification. The splendid series of royal portraits on Ptolemaic coins provides the best surviving evidence for pinpointing individual rulers. For a similar portrait head of Ptolemy IV, see H. Kyrieleis, Bildnisse der Ptolemäer, Berlin, 1975, p. 47 no. 171, Pl. 36.

Provenance
Art market, Switzerland, May 1989
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired form the above

Exhibition
Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva, 2002 - 2017

Literature
Renate Thomas, Eine postume Statuette Ptolemaios’ IV. und ihr historischer Kontext. Zur Götterangleichung hellenistischer Herrscher. Mainz: von Zabern 2002. VIII, 108 S. 20 Taf. 4º. Trierer Winckelmannsprogramme, Heft 18.

Condition
Tip of nose missing, minor chips and scratches to the surface, otherwise intact.

Shipping terms
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