• r2-106-10
    Unfinished head of Zeus, frontal view. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)
  • r2-106-20
    Unfinished head of Zeus, right profile view. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College)

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