Getty Museum

Head of Minerva

Date

A.D. 1–50

Medium

Marble

Culture

Roman

Department

Sculpture

Institution

Getty Museum

This helmeted head is all that remains of an over life-size statue of a female figure. Much of the helmet's crest is broken off, and the front edge of the helmet has been re-cut. A series of small holes have been drilled into the hairline in order to add pieces (now-missing) to replace damaged areas. Iron dowels left in some holes suggest that this repair was made in late Hellenistic or Roman times. The helmet covers most of the head, but wavy hair protrudes all along the edge. Whereas the figure’s flesh was polished to a matte finish, the hair has been left less finished to create texture. The bottom half of the ears are carefully carved with small drop earrings in relief.A helmet often identifies Athena, the Greek warrior goddess, or her Roman counterpart Minerva. Here, the goddess wears a type of Athenian helmet with a low crest and a decorative frontlet that ends in volutes above the ears. As for the appearance of the original statue, the remains of the neck indicate that the goddess' body twisted to her left.

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