Collection Item

From:UC Teece Museum of Classical Antiquities

Name/TitlePlaster Cast Head of a Youth

About this objectPlaster cast copy of a head of a youth, painted to resemble a bronze sculpture. The cast is mounted on a black wooden base. It is most likely a copy of a Roman sculpture of the 1st century AD.

This head of a young man is slightly under lifesize and includes part of the neck and shoulder. He gazes downward and to his right. The thick cap of tight curls recalls the luxuriant hair of Greek statues of the late Classical and Hellenistic period. The smooth skin and length of the hair, which extends over the forehead, show that the subject was a young adult. The naturalistic facial features are rendered in a style typical of fourth-century Greek sculpture.

The irises and pupils of the eyes of this portrait are incised. In Roman sculpture, incised details of the eyes on stone sculptures did not appear until after 125 AD. It is therefore open to question whether the Roman copy might be dated to the early second century AD.

For more information, see our online exhibition 'Portraits in Plaster'.

MakerMinistry of Culture Archaeological Receipts Fund

Maker RoleCasting and Copying Workshop

Date Madeca. 1988-1989

PeriodModern

Place MadeGreece; Athens

Medium and MaterialsPlaster, wood

Style and IconographyRoman

TechniqueCasting (process)

MeasurementsHeight 216mm (including base)

Subject and Association KeywordsYouth in art

Subject and Association KeywordsFigurative art

Named CollectionThe James Logie Memorial Collection, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

Credit LinePurchased, 1996.

Object TypeSculpture

Object numberCC36

Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved