Archaic II

Limestone head of a bearded male wearing a conical helmet

The smooth beard with a central incision and four curves delineating the end of each strand juts out sharply. The lips are stiff and the cheekbones prominent, creating a faint artificial smile. The ridge of the nose is broken. The almond-shaped eyes are bulging, with protruding eyelids; the eyebrows form a slightly curved band. Protruding from under the helmet in high relief is a row of curls. The helmet peak is mostly missing. The cheekpieces are not shown, but two cords are tied at the top of the head in a Herakles knot. A smooth mass of hair flares onto the nape of the neck. WebPub GR 2012 Cesnola: 14 1/2 × 9 × 13 1/2 in., 44 lb. (36.8 × 22.9 × 34.3 cm, 20 kg)

Date

600 - 551 BC

Accession No.

74.51.2860

Collection

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Provenance

Sanctuary of Golgoi-Ayios Photios

References

Doell, Johannes. 1873. Die Sammlung Cesnola. no. 243, p. 45, pl. VIII.10, St. Petersburg: L’Académie Impérial des Sciences.Cesnola, Luigi Palma di. 1885. A Descriptive Atlas of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriote Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Vol. 1. pl. XXXV.222, Boston: James R. Osgood and Company.Myres, John L. 1914. Handbook of the Cesnola Collection of Antiquities from Cyprus. no. 1258, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Gjerstad, Einar. 1948. The Swedish Cyprus Expedition: The Cypro-Geometric, Cypro-Archaic, and Cypro-Classical Periods, Vol. 4(2). p. 100, pl. V.1-.2, Stockholm: The Swedish Cyprus Expedition.Hermary, Antoine and Joan R. Mertens. 2013. The Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art : Stone Sculpture. no. 10, p. 35, Online Publication, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.