Further images
Head of a youthful male from a Sidamara type sarcophagus,
carved almost fully in the round, the face with soft features
and a furrowed brow. Tousled hair is swept back from his
face in short upward curls from a central parting revealing
long curled sideburns. The figure turns his head slightly to
the right as he gazes forwards. The pupils, inner corners of
the eyes and outer corners of the lips drilled. The proper
right side is more roughly finished and with a structural
support jutting out from the back right of the head. Some
damage to the surface, mainly affecting the nose and left cheek, encrustation over areas of the surface.
The subtle modelling of the features and furrowed brow are
typical of images of the demi-god Hercules. Here the treatment
of the hair expresses a faint recollection of Alexander the Great.
Sidamara type sarcophagi are named after the ancient city in
Turkey. They are of a particularly large scale and are carved
on all sides to show a continuous scene. One of the most
common themes represented on this type of sarcophagi are the
twelve Labours of Hercules.
Provenance
David Fuller, Essex, UK; acquired before 1970, accompanied by a valuation from David Peel from this date
Private collection, UK; by descent from the above
Literature
Compare the heads of Hercules on a sarcophagus in
the Fondazione Torlonia, Rome, Italy, collection number MT422
