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On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Marble head of a figure

ca. 2700–2500 BCE

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 171

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

The head and neck are preserved. The sculpture is made from white marble with calcium carbonate and clay-rich accretions in places. The head is lyre-shaped and leans back coming to a flat crown at the top. A prominent conical nose is carefully centered on the face. Traces of red pigment identified as cinnabar are visible on the crease of the neck. Ghost images of eyes are faintly visible when examined with ultraviolet-reflected imaging: a pair as well as the outlines of non-anatomically placed examples above and below the proper left eye.

Seán Hemingway, Dorothy Abramitis, Federico Carò

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

Marble head of a figure, Marble, Cycladic

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence (UVL) image of the front.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence (UVL) image of the back.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Ultraviolet-reflected (UVR) image of the front that shows evidence of multiple eyes.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Ultraviolet-reflected (UVR) image of the back.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Inverted ultraviolet-reflected image that shows evidence of multiple eyes.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Photomicrograph of red pigment (cinnabar) in the neck crease. Image taken at 500 times magnification.

Title: Marble head of a figure

Period: Early Cycladic II

Date: ca. 2700–2500 BCE

Culture: Cycladic

Medium: Marble

Dimensions: 3 1/8 × 1 1/4 in. (8 × 3.2 cm)

Classification: Stone Sculpture

Credit Line: Leonard N. Stern Collection, Loan from the Hellenic Republic, Ministry of Culture

Accession Number: L.2022.38.28

The Met

Greek and Roman Art at The Met

The Museum's collection of Greek and Roman art comprises more than 30,000 works ranging in date from the Neolithic period to the time of the Roman emperor Constantine's conversion to Christianity in A.D. 312.