Female Bust

Portrait bust of a female, heavily restored apart from the face. The bust is squared in the typical 18th century fashion and draped in what appears to be a role that does not look ancient. The beaded necklace is also an 18th century invention. The restoration at the crown of the head follows the motif of the thin parallel braids that frame the face but the function of the braids or the fillet is unclear. At the back the braids terminate in a loose knot that has no shape and is contrast to the geometry of the ancient braids. The eyelids and the jaw are heavy and the style of the female is very much in the fashion of Archaic korai of the Severe style and the early 5th century BC. Bartman noted that certain features such as the strap band of braids in front of the ear and the knob above the forehead are unusual for the Archaic examples. Bartman commented on the idealised rather than portrait features, despite the fact that Roman matrons wore tiered hairstyles with mutliple braids and noted that this was never the case for individual portraits. Bartman believed that it reflects the popular fashion for the Archaistic style with the hair in parallel waves around the face and punctuated by a central band and the two ear flaps.