A HIGHLY RARE BLUE GLASS HEAD BUST OF SVORONOS, PHILOSOPHER OF ANTIKYTHERA Hellenistic Period, Circa

拍品描述

A HIGHLY RARE BLUE GLASS HEAD BUST OF SVORONOS, PHILOSOPHER OF ANTIKYTHERA Hellenistic Period, Circa 3rd–2nd Century B.C. Modelled in deep cobalt-blue glass with scattered sandy and earthen accretions, the head depicts a mature, bearded man with heavy, curling locks rendered in high relief. The brows are deeply incised above almond-shaped eyes, the nose straight, and the lips firmly set, lending the face a solemn, introspective character. The beard is composed of layered, twisting strands, while the voluminous hair falls in thick, wavy tresses around the ears and down the back of the head. The underside of the neck stump shows a rough, irregular break consistent with ancient detachment. The reverse preserves the same dense, swirling treatment of the hair, the individual locks articulated with sharply cut grooves. Areas of pitting and surface encrustation indicate long burial and weathering, particularly around the lower break. Portrait heads in cast or mould-formed glass were luxury objects in the Hellenistic world, often representing philosophers or notable figures. Such miniature busts were used as devotional or commemorative items, drawing on the widespread Hellenistic interest in physiognomy and intellectual portraiture. Measurements: Height 5 cm

图片