Marble head of a figure

Technical analysis: Multiband imaging, optical microscopy, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy


The head is carved from fine-grained (maximum grain size ≈ 1 mm), heteroblastic marble. It is broken at the neck and is likely from a large female folded arm figurine. There are small scratches to the surface throughout and a loss at the top back proper right. A thin layer of iron oxides-containing accretion gives much of the surface a reddish tinge and covers the break at the neck and the loss on the crown of the head. On parts of the face, nose and back of the head the marble is a luminescent creamy white that may give a sense of something close to the original surface color. Erosion is visible along the grain boundaries of the marble. The head is set back markedly from the neck and is very three dimensional, its voluminous form best appreciated in the profile view. The nose is placed slightly above center and the chin has a narrow rounded oval form; the head has a slight lyre shape and comes to a flat crown at the top. The modern mount has a steel rod set at an angle to compensate for the arching back of the head. Traces of faint ghosts of painted almond-shaped eyes are barely visible.


Seán Hemingway, Dorothy Abramitis, Federico Carò