Funerary head

3rd-1st century B.C.

These three heads are "Roman" insofar as they are portraits of three individuals living within the Roman sphere of influence. All three heads, to differing extents, show the indigenous aesthetics of their makers: the Gallo-Roman head, from one of the most "Romanized" regions outside of Italy, is modeled as a Hellenistic ideal; the Qatabanian head is distinctly flattened, and the large eye cavities are now empty of the typical Near Eastern inlays; and the Kushan head's striated hair is characteristic of the Roman Empire's eastern neighbor.

Alabaster

8 x 4 3/4 x 2 3/4 in. (20.32 x 12.07 x 6.99 cm)

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

57.82

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

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