Unfinished Head of Zeus
- Date
- Early Hellenistic?, Hellenistic
- Museum
- Manisa, Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, 7104
- Museum Inventory No.
- 7104
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- S70.001
- Material
- Marble, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Mythological Figure, Human Figure
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- HoB
- Trench
- HoB
- B-Grid Coordinates
- E70 / S105 rock pile and surface
- Findspot
- HoB, rock pile, surface.
- Description
The head is tilted slightly upward and to l. At lower l. may be traces of a garment. The hair falls in curls in front of the ears and on the forehead and in long locks at back of the head. At l. and back curls are roughed out but not finished. Lower halves of ears project beneath curls. The beard is full but short; its r. side has both fully carved curls and lightly incised hairs just beside ear. L. side is only roughed out, like the hair. A long moustache curves down around the closed mouth, which is small but full. Nostrils were broad and distended. The eyes are carefully modeled showing good understanding of upper lid and folds. No delineation of pupils. The heavy brows are slightly furrowed and there is one deep wrinkle in the forehead. The beautiful modeling of the cheeks shows bone structure. The thick, heavy, and bulging neck is typically Hellenistic. Edge at neck is nearly flat, with dowel hole in center.
Facial features are very fine and precise. There is no evidence of a drill, and the chisel work on the face is very sensitive. Hair and beard may have been left rough with intention to paint the details, but more likely the piece is from an unfinished statue. Workmanship and style point to pre-Pergamon period of 3rd C. B.C.
- Condition
White marble with brick-red incrustation spots.
Nose, hair, and beard damaged.
- Dimensions
- H. 0.154; W. 0.112; D 0.113; W. of eye 0.13 internal, 0.21 external.
- Comments
- For beard left rough for painted details, cf. e.g. Olympia seer. Ashmole-Yalouris, Olympia, fig. 33. For Pergemene adaptation of similar type, cf. Akurgal, Civilizations, pl. 38.
- See Also
- Bibliography
- Published: BASOR203, 9, fig. 5; Hanfmann, Letters, fig. 220.
- Author
- NHR