Archaeological Museum of Bologna

This small terracotta head, produced locally, was found in a layer of waste, mixed with objects from different areas and varying in provenance.

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This small terracotta head, produced locally, was found in a layer of waste, mixed with objects from different areas and varying in provenance. Although it is not particularly significant from an artistic standpoint, several features make it unique for Bologna. First of all, it was carved as a separate head and was thus not made to be set on a bust. Furthermore, its realistic facial features indicate that it was a portrait, possibly for a burial, given the type of crown – referred to as a convivial crown – set on the young man’s head. Consequently, it is likely that it is an example of the imagines maiorum, masks or portraits of ancestors that were typical of the Roman domestic cult.

Provenance: Bologna, Via Augusto Righi
Datation: Early 1st century BC
Material: clay
Inventory #: SBAER 1395