DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45927#0104
102
9. SCULPTURES FOUND IN THE BOULEUTERION (M. Aurenhammer - Th. Opper)
A finely carved girlish head (sculp. 1.4; pl. 69; 70, 1) of 18 cm height was found near one of the doorways of
the scaenaefrons according to J. T. Wood. Originally, the head was turned to the left. The oval face with its ideal
features and its pursed lips conveys an atmosphere of seriousness as well as sweetness. The tight waves of the
girl’s hair are parted in the middle and bound by a broad fillet. Behind the ears, the hair is pulled up, covering the
fillet almost completely. At the nape of the neck, the hair is brought together into a ponytail which is obviously
tied twice. A long spiral curl hangs down in front of the left ear (indicating the principal view), while loose curls
cover both sides of the neck, originating from the ponytail. The incised irises, the pupils incised in the shape of
a bean-shaped line and the scarce drill-work in the hair framing the face and on top of the head, just behind the
fillet, point to a date in the early Antonine period.395 For the small waves of hair framing the forehead, portraits
of Faustina Maior offer the best parallel as they feature a similar hairstyle on the sides of the head.396 The bigger
waves of hair on the girl’s portrait, especially on the left side and on top of her head, rendered in a linear manner,
may be compared with portraits of Faustina Minor.397 For the hair at the back and the motif of the rolled up parts
framing the neck, compare another portrait of Faustina Minor rendered in a late portrait type.398
The hairdo is reminiscent of the hairstyle of goddesses such as Artemis or Aphrodite.399 For Artemis, com-
pare for example the Hadrianic, eclectic statue of Artemis from the first floor of unit 4 of Terrace House 2 at
Ephesos.400 There, the hair covers the ears and it is bound by a fillet, but it ends in a thick mop of hair at the
nape of the neck where it is bound twice; finally, it hangs down loosely on the back. Sabina and Faustina Mi-
nor in the guise of goddesses feature a thick mop of hair hanging down the back, tied by a fillet, or loose hair
falling onto the back.401
As a stylish coiffure, the Ephesian girl’s hairdo with the ponytail or thin braid originates from the hairstyle
with “Nackenschopf ’ or “Nackenzopf ’ made fashionable by empresses of the Julio-Claudian era (Antonia
Minor) and taken up as part of a different hairstyle by later empresses, in the 2nd century by Plotina.402 In most
of these portraits, the ears are not covered by the hair. Loose locks and strands of hair enrich this simple hair-
style; the loose strands framing the Ephesian girl’s neck are a characteristic feature and an indication that this
head is a portrait.403 Loose locks, including the spiral curls in front of the ears, are also a standard feature of
contemporary female portraits in general.404
The girl’s face is highly idealized, lacking distinct portrait features, but the profile may be compared with
contemporary women’s and girl’s portraits, both imperial and private.405 The charm of the girl’s features and
their melancholy expression are characteristic of female portraits of the Antonine and Severan period.406
395 Cf. for example the first two portrait types of Marcus Aurelius, Fittschen 1999, p. 14 cat. A 10 and 14 pl. 8. 11. p. 23 cat. B 8
pl. 30. p. 14-20 cat. B 16. 22. 24. 26. 34. 36. 37 pL36. 41. 43. 44. 49. 52c. 52d. 53. For the carving of the eyes in general Fittschen
1999, 18 with note 135. A striking parallel for the carving of the irises and pupils is the recently discovered Ephesian replica of
Polycleitus’ Doryphoros, Seljuk, Efes Miizesi 23/4/05, cf. Aurenhammer 2008.
396 Cf. for example the portraits in Rome, Museo Capitolino 447 and Rome, Palazzo dei Conservator! 994, 851, cf. Fittschen - Zanker
1983, 13-15. 19-20 cat. 13. 14. 18 pl. 15-18. 22-23.
397 For example portraits of the 5th portrait type (Faustina Minor or Lucilla?), Rome, Vatican, Braccio Nuovo 2195 and London, British
Museum 1905 and 1468, cf. Fittschen 1982, 51-52 no. 1. 5 and 6 pl. 19. 21-22. Date of the type: A.D. 152.
398 Portrait in Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano 642, Fittschen 1982, 60 no. 3 pl. 36. Date of the 8th portrait type: A.D. 162.
399 Aphrodite: for example two bronze statuettes in Paris, Musee du Louvre Br. 4422, and Paris, Musee du Louvre Br. 389, cf. Jentel
1984, 163 nos. 206-207 pl. 167.
400 Sei uk, Efes Miizesi 2165; Rathmayr 2005, 218. 229 S 17 pl. 143. 146.
401 Sabina’s portraits in Rome, Museo Capitolino 690 and Rome, Palazzo dei Conservator! 848 and in St. Petersburg, Hermitage A
400a, cf. Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 10. 12-13 cat. 9 and 12 pl. 11. 14; Alexandridis 2004, 183 cat. 179-180 pl. 39, and Faustina’s
portrait in Munich, Glyptothek 535, Alexandridis 2004, 193 cat. 200 pl. 43, 1-2.
402 Mannsperger 1998, 44-55. 62-67.
403 Cf. two Augustan/Tiberian private portraits in Rome, Palazzo dei Conservator! 1081 and Rome, Museo Nuovo Capitolino 922, cf.
Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 42-43. 45 cat. 49 and 54 pl. 63-64. 68-69.
404 For the spiral curl in front of the ear, cf. portraits of Lucius Verus’ sister (?) in Rome, Museo Capitolino 336 and Rome, Museo
Capitolino 6269, cf. Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 26-27 cat. 26-27 pl. 35-37 and the portrait of Athenais (?) in Olympia, Museum
A 159, cf. Bol 1984, 180-181 cat. 43 pl. 48-50; Bol 1998, 127-128 pl. 28. Regarding the identification of this portrait type, cf.
Fuchs 1986, 858.
405 Cf. Faustina Minor’s and Lucilla’s first portrait types, Fittschen 1982,38-39 pl. 8-13 and p. 75-77 pl. 44-47; private portraiture: for
example a portrait in Rome, Museo Capitolino 667, cf. Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 74-75 cat. 97 pl. 122 or the portrait of a girl from
the Palatine, Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano 1119, cf. Fittschen 1991, 297-302 pl. 65,1. 66,1. 67,1. 69,1 (about A.D. 200).
406 Cf. Fittschen 1991, 301-302.
9. SCULPTURES FOUND IN THE BOULEUTERION (M. Aurenhammer - Th. Opper)
A finely carved girlish head (sculp. 1.4; pl. 69; 70, 1) of 18 cm height was found near one of the doorways of
the scaenaefrons according to J. T. Wood. Originally, the head was turned to the left. The oval face with its ideal
features and its pursed lips conveys an atmosphere of seriousness as well as sweetness. The tight waves of the
girl’s hair are parted in the middle and bound by a broad fillet. Behind the ears, the hair is pulled up, covering the
fillet almost completely. At the nape of the neck, the hair is brought together into a ponytail which is obviously
tied twice. A long spiral curl hangs down in front of the left ear (indicating the principal view), while loose curls
cover both sides of the neck, originating from the ponytail. The incised irises, the pupils incised in the shape of
a bean-shaped line and the scarce drill-work in the hair framing the face and on top of the head, just behind the
fillet, point to a date in the early Antonine period.395 For the small waves of hair framing the forehead, portraits
of Faustina Maior offer the best parallel as they feature a similar hairstyle on the sides of the head.396 The bigger
waves of hair on the girl’s portrait, especially on the left side and on top of her head, rendered in a linear manner,
may be compared with portraits of Faustina Minor.397 For the hair at the back and the motif of the rolled up parts
framing the neck, compare another portrait of Faustina Minor rendered in a late portrait type.398
The hairdo is reminiscent of the hairstyle of goddesses such as Artemis or Aphrodite.399 For Artemis, com-
pare for example the Hadrianic, eclectic statue of Artemis from the first floor of unit 4 of Terrace House 2 at
Ephesos.400 There, the hair covers the ears and it is bound by a fillet, but it ends in a thick mop of hair at the
nape of the neck where it is bound twice; finally, it hangs down loosely on the back. Sabina and Faustina Mi-
nor in the guise of goddesses feature a thick mop of hair hanging down the back, tied by a fillet, or loose hair
falling onto the back.401
As a stylish coiffure, the Ephesian girl’s hairdo with the ponytail or thin braid originates from the hairstyle
with “Nackenschopf ’ or “Nackenzopf ’ made fashionable by empresses of the Julio-Claudian era (Antonia
Minor) and taken up as part of a different hairstyle by later empresses, in the 2nd century by Plotina.402 In most
of these portraits, the ears are not covered by the hair. Loose locks and strands of hair enrich this simple hair-
style; the loose strands framing the Ephesian girl’s neck are a characteristic feature and an indication that this
head is a portrait.403 Loose locks, including the spiral curls in front of the ears, are also a standard feature of
contemporary female portraits in general.404
The girl’s face is highly idealized, lacking distinct portrait features, but the profile may be compared with
contemporary women’s and girl’s portraits, both imperial and private.405 The charm of the girl’s features and
their melancholy expression are characteristic of female portraits of the Antonine and Severan period.406
395 Cf. for example the first two portrait types of Marcus Aurelius, Fittschen 1999, p. 14 cat. A 10 and 14 pl. 8. 11. p. 23 cat. B 8
pl. 30. p. 14-20 cat. B 16. 22. 24. 26. 34. 36. 37 pL36. 41. 43. 44. 49. 52c. 52d. 53. For the carving of the eyes in general Fittschen
1999, 18 with note 135. A striking parallel for the carving of the irises and pupils is the recently discovered Ephesian replica of
Polycleitus’ Doryphoros, Seljuk, Efes Miizesi 23/4/05, cf. Aurenhammer 2008.
396 Cf. for example the portraits in Rome, Museo Capitolino 447 and Rome, Palazzo dei Conservator! 994, 851, cf. Fittschen - Zanker
1983, 13-15. 19-20 cat. 13. 14. 18 pl. 15-18. 22-23.
397 For example portraits of the 5th portrait type (Faustina Minor or Lucilla?), Rome, Vatican, Braccio Nuovo 2195 and London, British
Museum 1905 and 1468, cf. Fittschen 1982, 51-52 no. 1. 5 and 6 pl. 19. 21-22. Date of the type: A.D. 152.
398 Portrait in Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano 642, Fittschen 1982, 60 no. 3 pl. 36. Date of the 8th portrait type: A.D. 162.
399 Aphrodite: for example two bronze statuettes in Paris, Musee du Louvre Br. 4422, and Paris, Musee du Louvre Br. 389, cf. Jentel
1984, 163 nos. 206-207 pl. 167.
400 Sei uk, Efes Miizesi 2165; Rathmayr 2005, 218. 229 S 17 pl. 143. 146.
401 Sabina’s portraits in Rome, Museo Capitolino 690 and Rome, Palazzo dei Conservator! 848 and in St. Petersburg, Hermitage A
400a, cf. Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 10. 12-13 cat. 9 and 12 pl. 11. 14; Alexandridis 2004, 183 cat. 179-180 pl. 39, and Faustina’s
portrait in Munich, Glyptothek 535, Alexandridis 2004, 193 cat. 200 pl. 43, 1-2.
402 Mannsperger 1998, 44-55. 62-67.
403 Cf. two Augustan/Tiberian private portraits in Rome, Palazzo dei Conservator! 1081 and Rome, Museo Nuovo Capitolino 922, cf.
Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 42-43. 45 cat. 49 and 54 pl. 63-64. 68-69.
404 For the spiral curl in front of the ear, cf. portraits of Lucius Verus’ sister (?) in Rome, Museo Capitolino 336 and Rome, Museo
Capitolino 6269, cf. Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 26-27 cat. 26-27 pl. 35-37 and the portrait of Athenais (?) in Olympia, Museum
A 159, cf. Bol 1984, 180-181 cat. 43 pl. 48-50; Bol 1998, 127-128 pl. 28. Regarding the identification of this portrait type, cf.
Fuchs 1986, 858.
405 Cf. Faustina Minor’s and Lucilla’s first portrait types, Fittschen 1982,38-39 pl. 8-13 and p. 75-77 pl. 44-47; private portraiture: for
example a portrait in Rome, Museo Capitolino 667, cf. Fittschen - Zanker 1983, 74-75 cat. 97 pl. 122 or the portrait of a girl from
the Palatine, Rome, Museo Nazionale Romano 1119, cf. Fittschen 1991, 297-302 pl. 65,1. 66,1. 67,1. 69,1 (about A.D. 200).
406 Cf. Fittschen 1991, 301-302.
