Offering

Very small, heavy votive head perhaps representing a youth, made from a moulded front panel attached to a smooth slab of clay modeled to form a round base and domed, convex back. Hollow, with large round opening below. The back meets the front in a large flange rationalized as the hem of a man’s mantle worn capite velato. Long neck, long oval face with heavy brows and lids; hair is a vertical grooved fringe over forehead and temples. Light orange clay, with large quantity of very coarse particles of black grit, white stones, red grit or grog and mica flakes. Traces of dull dark red-brown on part of face may be traces of paint (red for male flesh). Intact; nose and edges slightly chipped, surfaces a bit worn. This is an extremely small example of the votive head type, undoubtedly made by using a previous head for prototype: the heavy ridges for eyes result from incision of those features in the mould, to touch up a faint impression.