Glass portrait head

Unknown

1st half of 4th century CE · Glass · Greek and Roman Art

Opaque deep red. Solid block. Carved in the round: male head with short wavy hair and fringe across forehead, arched brows, large eyes, and clean shaven face. Broken, with large unweathered chip in proper right side of face and side of head, and weathered chips to nose, mouth, and chin; green copper weathering surface. This small portrait head may represent a prince from the family of Constantine I.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1st half of 4th century CE

Medium

Glass

Culture

Roman

Department

Greek and Roman Art

Credit line

Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917