Archaistic Head of Male

Archaistic head of a male, previously interpreted as a female by Ashmole and Michaelis because of the long locks of the shoulder which Bartman observed as common to many archaistic male busts. There are several rows of stacked snail curls around the forehead and the temples and longer corkscrew curls covering the ears and longer wavy locks over the shoulders. Ashmole described the head as lifeless and it possibly a copy of an original because of its excellent condition and the use of chisel for the locks which gives the head a bland look unusual for the Archaic type of works. The head also has a peculiar diadem which is rounded rather than flat and grooved. The style may be eclectic especially in the oval shape of the face and the fleshly lips. Bartman noted that the hair is not linear as in the Archaic tradition and there is a lack of the typical Archaic smile and therefore more of the Archaistic style. The Albani head may have served as a model for the Ince piece. The back crown of the head has been deliberately aged with pinprick holes.