Roman Marble Portrait Head of a Child – Julio-Claudian

$8,995.00

In stock

Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st century CE. A tender and expressive marble portrait head depicting a young Roman boy, carved during the Julio-Claudian era when portraiture flourished as one of the most distinctive artistic traditions of the Roman world. The softly modeled face is characterized by rounded cheeks, a small mouth with gently defined lips, and delicately carved almond-shaped eyes that once likely held painted details to enliven the gaze. The youthful features are framed by short, carefully indicated locks of hair arranged in shallow carved strands across the forehead and crown. The ears are subtly rendered and the proportions of the head emphasize the fullness and softness typical of childhood portraiture. Roman sculptors often sought to capture not only physical likeness but also the stage of life of the sitter, and the gentle expression and smooth surfaces here convey the innocence and vulnerability of youth. Size: 4.8″ L x 4.5″ W x 5.6″ H (12.2 cm x 11.4 cm x 14.2 cm); 9.5″ H (24.1 cm) on included custom stand.

Portrait heads of children were commonly produced for elite Roman families, either as commemorative images of living family members or as memorial portraits honoring deceased children within household shrines or funerary contexts. The sculpture reflects the broader Roman tradition of family portraiture, in which lineage, memory, and social identity were preserved through carefully crafted marble likenesses.

Despite weathering across the back and crown, the front of the face retains pleasing detail and a strong sense of personality, offering a poignant glimpse into the artistic language and familial values of early Imperial Rome.

Condition: Fragment of a larger piece with rough neckline. Restored point of chin, filled roughness on the right cheek, some ancient loss to the tip of his nose, and a few very minor small surface chips as shown. Otherwise, a very nice example with excellent ancient surface patina and areas of encrustations.

Provenance: private Thornton, Colorado, USA collection, acquired from Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA; ex-private New Jersey, USA collection, acquired from Arte Primitivo, auction 11, lot 556, 2000; ex-Hamdi El Gabry, proprietor at Secret Eye Gallery, New York, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s

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