Head of Apollo
May one see it?
Not receiving at present
Harvard Art Museums
Cambridge, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
This head of Apollo may have been part of a large statuette or a bust weight. The god’s curly hair is styled into a top knot at the front and a bun at the back of his head (1). The hair around his temples is modeled in high relief and shows signs of wear. Behind the top knot are the remains of what may be an attachment, possibly a loop or a hook. The facial features are very fine, and Apollo’s expression seems grave. The head is broken at the neck, and the interior of the hollow cast is filled with lead and resinous materials, which would support its possible use as a bust weight (2).
NOTES:
1. See Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae Apollon nos. 64, 72, 75, 79, 302.g, and 516 for similar hairstyles.
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2. For two examples of Apollo-shaped bust weights, see N. Franken, Aequipondia: Figürliche Laufgewichte römischer und frühbyzantinischer Schnellwaagen (Bonn, 1994) 34 and 121, nos. A1-A3, pl. 1.
Lisa M. Anderson
Harvard Art Museums
Particulars
- Accession number
- 1994.167
In the catalog
Sources
- Harvard Art Museums
- Image: Harvard Art Museums — © President and Fellows of Harvard College
