Head of an Apostle
Unknown Artist
c. 1325–1350
Medium
limestone, with traces of polychromy
Dimensions
36.2 × 24.2 × 20.4 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1960.170
About this artwork
This detached head with deeply incised hair was likely that of a large, nearly life-sized figure of an apostle. It would have originally stood more than 6 feet in height and was gilded and painted. The head was formerly affixed to a halo carved from the same block of stone, and the head would have been slightly angled downward. Though its original context is unknown, the style is generally suggestive of sculptural programs in Toulouse during the early 1300s.