Caricature

Terracotta head with grotesque features. This was either the image of an actor from a comedy or the representation of a muscular disease that distorted the muscles in the face. It was not uncommon, in the Hellenistic period, for terracotta figures to be made of people with deformities. The head dates from the time of the Roman Empire and was made in Asia Minor. It was purchased by the National Museum of Antiquities in Smyrna, Turkey, in 1897. A few damaged portions have been repaired and restored.