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Bronze grotesque

2nd century BCE–1st century CE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 161
Since its discovery in 1727, this figure's identity has been debated. His disproportionately large head has a prominent nose, canines and whites of the eyes originally inlaid in silver, and hair and a beard once rendered in a matte black metal inlay. The circular area on the back of his head may have been for an attached curl of hair. The close-fitting garment reveals his misshapen body, and he wears sandals. Prevailing scholarly opinion has called the figure a mime and dated it to the first century B.C./A.D. A recent suggestion is that he is a caricature of an Alexandrian pedant, datable in the early second century B.C.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bronze grotesque
  • Period: Hellenistic
  • Date: 2nd century BCE–1st century CE
  • Culture: Greek
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: Overall: 4 x 1 1/4 x 7/8 in. (10.2 x 3.2 x 2.2 cm)
  • Classification: Bronzes
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1912
  • Object Number: 12.229.6
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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