3-044-381 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Head of Venus (Knidian Aphrodite type), 99-75 BC. Additional Info: This female head is slightly over life-size. The back of the head is a wedge-shaped flat surface with cuttings for the attachment of separately carved pieces that would have completed the anatomy of the head. The eyes are almond-shaped and hollowed out for inlay. There are four drill holes at the bottom of the sockets for the attachment of separately made eyes. The neck is long and slender with two shallow indentations at the front indicating fleshiness. The hair is parted in the center with wavy strands brushed back over the tops of the ears. There is a fillet in the hair. The skin has a polished finish that contrasts with the rougher texture of the hair. The right ear has a drill hole for the attachment of an earring; the left earlobe is broken away. The head is similar to Late Hellenistic colossal heads of Aphrodite.