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Identification and Creation

Object Number
1969.177.31
Title
Stylized Male Head
Other Titles
Former Title: Lock in the Form of a Male Head
Classification
Sculpture
Work Type
sculpture, statuette
Date
n.d.
Places
Creation Place: Ancient & Byzantine World, Asia, Syria
Culture
Unidentified culture
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/303947

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Mixed copper alloy
Technique
Cast, lost-wax process
Dimensions
3.7 x 1.7 cm (1 7/16 x 11/16 in.)
Technical Details

Chemical Composition: ICP-MS/AAA data from sample, Mixed Copper Alloy:
Cu, 81.55; Sn, 3.39; Pb, 4.46; Zn, 10.07; Fe, 0.17; Ni, 0.07; Ag, 0.06; Sb, 0.07; As, 0.16; Bi, less than 0.025; Co, 0.006; Au, less than 0.01; Cd, less than 0.001
J. Riederer

Technical Observations: The patina is black with areas of green and red. The black areas of the surface are well preserved. There are bright scratch marks from cleaning. Wear on the hinge loops on the back appears to be the result of original use of the object.

The object is a solid cast, and the hinge elements are integral to the casting. The relatively flat shape of the back of the head suggests the wax model for the head was cast in a mold. The hinge projections on the back and the cylindrical element on the bottom could have been added by directly attaching additional elements of wax. The details of the face were made using a small punch tool after casting.


Henry Lie (submitted 2002)

Provenance

Recorded Ownership History
Harry J. Denberg, New York, NY (by 1969), gift; to the Fogg Art Museum, 1969.

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Harry J. Denberg
Accession Year
1969
Object Number
1969.177.31
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Descriptions

Published Catalogue Text: Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Bronzes at the Harvard Art Museums
This enigmatic object is in the form of a stylized male head above a transverse bar. The head seems to wear a Phrygian cap, with a very slight peak, decorated with rows of dots. The head is almond-shaped. The eyes, nose, mouth, and chin are modeled; punched dots represent the pupils of the eyes. The neck tapers away from the head and becomes what appears to be a hand that clasps the transverse cylindrical bar. This object is not clearly an antiquity, and there are no known parallels for it at this time.

Lisa M. Anderson

Subjects and Contexts

  • Ancient Bronzes

Verification Level

This record has been reviewed by the curatorial staff but may be incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu