Head of Trajan
Unknown Artist
100–200 CE
Medium
marble
Dimensions
h. 9 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Greek and Roman Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund
Accession Number
1925.468
About this artwork
Though this portrait head has many of the features associated with the emperor Trajan, such as his short, comma-shaped forelocks, other aspects of the statue are unusual. For example, all other known portraits of Trajan depict him as clean shaven, but this one appears to have facial hair. Provincial portraits—that is, those made outside of Italy—could sometimes differ dramatically from imperial standards. This head may be an example of provincial experimentation.