Bronze head of a youth

3rd quarter of the 5th century BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 157
This head entered the collections of The Metropolitan Museum of Art attached to the statuette of a man, 29.48a. Although the surface of the two pieces is comparable, the head is larger in scale and quite different in style. It shows a young man with a full head of hair pulled up and held in place with a band. The square hole on the back of the neck was probably for the attachment of the pony tail that was worn up. While the figure has been identified as Dionysos, it may well be another divinity, such as Apollo, or an athletic mortal.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bronze head of a youth
  • Period: Classical
  • Date: 3rd quarter of the 5th century BCE
  • Culture: Greek
  • Medium: Bronze
  • Dimensions: 3 1/8 in. (7.9 cm)
  • Classification: Bronzes
  • Credit Line: Fletcher Fund, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.48
  • Curatorial Department: Greek and Roman Art

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