Bust of the Empress Julia Domna

This sculpted portrait of a woman depicts Julia Domna, who died in 217. She was a Syrian princess and the wife of Septimius Severus, Roman Emperor from 193 to 211.

Her joined eyebrows and abundant hair (probably false) with wavy locks drawn into a bun at the back of her head, are typical in representations of the Empress. Her realistic face, turned to the right, expresses strength and serenity.

This official portrait was designed to stand in a public place to help disseminate the image of the imperial couple. In the 19th century, an antiquarian mounted the female head onto the fragmented, draped bust of a man.