Head, Possibly of Empress Flaccilla
Unknown Artist
ca. 380–390
Medium
Marble
Dimensions
Overall: 10 11/16 x 6 1/8 x 6 11/16 in. (27.2 x 15.5 x 17 cm) with base: 11 1/4 in. (28.5 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Stone
Culture
Byzantine
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1947
Accession Number
47.100.51
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite marble head, possibly portraying Empress Flaccilla (ca. 380–390), captures the refined elegance of late Roman portraiture transitioning into Byzantine art. Measuring about 10 11/16 inches tall, it hails from the Eastern Roman Empire, where such sculptures honored imperial figures. Flaccilla, wife of Emperor Theodos I, was renowned for her piety and charitable, making her a symbol of Christian virtue in an era when Christianity was solidifying as the empire's faith. Carved from high-quality marble, the bust exemplifies Byzantine sculptural techniques: intricate drilling for the ...