Collection: | Berlin, Antikenmuseen |
Title: | Bearded Mask from Marathon |
Context: | Possibly from Marathon |
Findspot: | Said to be from Marathon |
Summary: | Mask of a god |
Object Function: | Cult? |
Material: | Marble |
Sculpture Type: | Free-standing statue |
Category: | Single sculpture? |
Style: | Late Archaic |
Technique: | In-the-round |
Original or Copy: | Original |
Date: | ca. 500 BC - ca. 475 BC |
Dimensions: | H. 0.32 m, W. 0.21 m, D. 0.12 m |
Scale: | Over life-size |
Region: | Attica |
Period: | Late Archaic |
Subject Description: The face of a god, broken across the top below the hairline but flat on the back and finished on the bottom, is treated like a mask. It has an extremely high flat forehead, small heavily-lidded eyes sunk deep into the head beneath sharply-cut brows and a small mouth with full lower lip. The beard is long and finely combed; the mustache and the hair immediately beneath the lower lip even finer. The beard comes to an abrupt end, where there is a large trapezoidal cutting for attachment to another object. Blümel has determined that the head sat on a table, as the horned head illustrated in a votive relief from Megara (
Form & Style: The head is either very late Archaic or early Severe in style. The mask-like quality makes it not quite comparable to heads with purely human features. However, the strong symmetry, heavy lids around the eyes and treatment of the beard suggest comparison with bronzes or copies of bronzes from that period. Blümel compares a head of Aristogeiton in the Vatican (Kaschnitz-Weinberg, Mag.Vat Nr.1). The Blond Boy (
Condition: Intact
Condition Description: Mask of face and surrounding hair, broken at top across upper forehead. Minor damage (small chips) to eyebrows, eyelids, tip of nose, lips and beard. Some weathering.
Material Description: Pentelic marble (Blümel
Collection History: Acquired in 1848 through Schaubert.
Sources Used: