Head of Vespasian restored on a modern bust

Colossal portrait of the emperor Vespasian restored on modern bust. The portrait had much restoration and reworking, particularly to the nose, mouth, chin, the back part of the head (which is probably modern) and the hair above the left ear. There are several large holes in the head and a crack across the left cheek. The front part of the head is ancient but restored and recut. The lower part of the head is recut and where it was not recut it was deeply cleaned. The scale of the head suggests that the portrait is one of an Emperor. Features such as the wide shape of the head and forehead, the shape of the small yes with wrinkles at the outer corners, the separating of the chin from the fleshy cheek and arrangement of the front hair locks suggest that this is Vespasian . His portraits are of 2 main types: the ones showing him with a squat cubic shape of the head and old age , deep wrinkles in the forehead and around the eyes and a sagging mouth. In the 2nd type portraits he appears younger and more idealised with an elongated head shape, less wrinkles and a full mouth. The Ince one probably belonged to this second type of potraits and the disregard for Vespasius physiognomy may be because of the reworking but also because the portrait was created posthumously.