Life-Size Roman Republican Marble Portrait Head of a Man. 2nd-1st century B.C. Private portrait head of a beardless but aged man sculpted in provincial style to be full of character with pinched mouth and furrowed brow; the short hairstyle of the Late Republican Rome; nose abraded; socket to underside for mounting on the display stand. 25.75 kg total, 50 cm including stand (19 3/4 in.). (For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price.)

Private collection, Auvergne, France, 1970s. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00131545. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12477-228801. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

In view of the fact that visual conventions (i.e. the Julian hairstyle) developed in the capital reached the “Romanised” provinces with a certain time lag, this portrait head was probably created in the Late Republican or Early Imperial Period.

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