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Head of a King

ca. 1150–75
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 304
A recently discovered photograph taken about 1906–10 seems to confirm earlier speculation that this head comes from Notre-Dame-dela-Couldre in Parthenay. Following the French Revolution, the church was secularized, sold, and demolished by its new owner. Certain aspects of this sculpture, such as the striated hair and the thick upper lip, are characteristic of Parthenay production. Although its original placement and identification remain unknown, the head may have belonged to a large figure on horseback, set in profile, on the church’s façade.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of a King
  • Date: ca. 1150–75
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Limestone
  • Dimensions: Overall: 18 1/4 x 9 3/8 x 15 1/4 in. (46.4 x 23.8 x 38.7 cm)
    weight: 103lb. (46.7kg)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Stone
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt, 1944
  • Object Number: 44.85.1
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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