Lot 171
171
A ROMAN MARBLE RELIEF TONDO
A ROMAN MARBLE RELIEF TONDO

CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.

Details
A ROMAN MARBLE RELIEF TONDO
circa 1st century a.d.
Sculpted in high relief with a profile head of a woman, her wavy hair pulled back into a chignon and held in place by an elaborately arranged fillet, with tendrils of hair falling in front of the ear, framed by a molding along the edge of the tondo
10.1/8 in. (25.7 cm.) wide

Lot Essay

Possibly representing the Greek poet Sappho. Several surviving sculptures have been tentatively identified as depicting Sappho, but none have been unanimously accepted. Coins minted at Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, circa 2nd and 3rd century A.D., feature an image of the island's famous writer. The style of these coin "portraits" invite comparison to the present work.