Kopf eines bärtigen Mannes

This fragment of a life-size head of a bearded man wearing a wreath exemplifies a type of votive statue familiar from the middle of the sixth century B. C. onwards. It derives from a relief dating from the second half of the fifth century B. C. The head stands out in almost complete plastic realization from the background of the relief. It is depicted in three-quarters profile turned to the right. The dominant features of the face are large eyes placed low on the head, and a full mouth. Over the forehead, the hair is indicated by twelve regularly arranged curls ending in spirals. Above this is a wreath of partially overlapping rosettes. The sideburns consist of similar curls which also form the end of the thin moustache. Traces of red paint have survived on the lips and the right side of the forehead.

A. Bernhard-Walcher u. a., Die Sammlung zyprischer Antiken im KHM. Sammlungskataloge des KHM Bd. 2, Wien: 1999