Portrait Head of a Noble or Official

A nobleman or government official is likely depicted in this portrait of a curly-haired man with a full beard. These features, together with drilled pupils and irises on the eyes, typically do not appear in Roman sculpture prior to the reign of Hadrian (AD 117–38), an admirer of Greek culture. Deeply carved beards and curls remain popular in portraiture throughout (and beyond) the Antonine period (AD 138–92), when this sculpture was probably made.