Antonia Minor

Antonia (36 BC – 37 AD) was a niece of Caesar Augustus and the mother of Claudius. She lived during the turbulent first decades of the Roman Imperial period, and portraits of her with her characteristic hairstyle are found on many coins. The diadem identifies her as an empress. The statue on which this head was originally mounted has, unfortunately, been lost. In order to display the head – probably in a gallery or niche – it was placed on a voluted plinth of a type used in the 16th century, especially by the sculptor Alessandro Vittoria.