Bust of a Man with a Rosette Diadem in the Brooklyn Museum, March 2010

Head of a Man

The somewhat broad and imprecise carving of this idealizing head may represent a provincial style of the region of Dendera. It may also be a harbinger of the dramatic decline in private statuary that occurred by the late first century B.C. A rosette is symbolic of light and regeneration, and a rosette diadem sometimes symbolizes posthumous deification. However, here the diadem may be the insignia of a provincial governorship or a priesthood.

Medium: Basalt

Possible Place Made: Dendera, Egypt

Dates: 30 B.C.E.-14 C.E.

Period: Roman Period

Dimensions: 15 7/16 in. (39.2 cm)

Collections: Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, 19th Dynasty to Roman Period, Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Gallery, 3rd Floor

Accession Number: 55.120

Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Text from: www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/3612/Head_o...