Roman Pottery Votive Head of Male - Aquileia

**First Time At Auction**

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 4th century CE. A captivating bust of a male youth, clean-shaven with large, generously lidded eyes with delineated irises, an arched browline, a naturalistic nose, full closed lips, a round chin, and a broad neck - his visage topped by a curly coiffure. A beautiful example. Size: 1.4" W x 2.25" H (3.6 cm x 5.7 cm); 3.875" H (9.8 cm) on included custom stand.

On the verso is a label inscribed with "Aquileia". Aquileia became one of Italy's UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1998. Aquileia was among the largest an the wealthiest Mediterranean cities of the Roman Empire. In time it also became the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, holding that post until 1751. Given this, Aquileia became a dominant Central European hub of the Christian world from the Middle Ages to the 18th Century.

Provenance: private New Jersey, USA collection, acquired from Ostracon (Dr. Bernhard I. Muller), Switzerland - January 31, 2018; ex-Eastern Switzerland collection, since the late 19th century; old label behind reading Aquileia; thence Schuyler Auktionen Zurich, December 2017 sale, lot 6137

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#156526
Condition Report: This is a fragment of a larger figure. Losses to areas of coiffure and neckline as shown. Light encrustations and minor softening to some finer details. Light earthen deposits throughout. Old label on verso reads "Aquileia."