The portrait shows an elderly man. Although the head is severely damaged, fine workmanship can still be observed: e.g. the inner corner of the r. eye, with carefully chiseled tear duct and lower lid; smooth surface of the r. cheek and modeling to show sagging flesh beneath the eye; careful treatment of sideburns, beard, moustache, and hair. The beard has plastically chiseled tufts near the cheek and then swells into bold curls made by short drill runs and the chisel. The hair behind the area on the r. side remains rough and uncarved. Beneath the full moustache, the corners of the mouth were deeply drilled. The lower halves of both ears are carefully carved.

A similar handling of the beard, both in the thick clumps emphasized by drill runs, and the more delicately carved hairs nearer the cheek, can be seen in an Antonine head from Side (İnan-Rosenbaum, Portrait Sculpture Asia Minor, no. 264, pl. 143:3-4). A similar, though not identical, use of the drill can also be found in heads of Commodus (esp. Wegner, Herrscherbildnisse, pl. 55). A date in the 2nd half of the 2nd C. is proposed for the Sardis head.

Fine white marble (Greek Island?)

Broken across eyes, upper ears, and neck. Nose missing, also most of lips and eyes. Heavy surface damage to moustache, beard, l. cheek.