White marble head of deity unearthed in Imperial Forums

From the excavations in Via Alessandrina, a head of a white marble statue from the imperial age, that is, between the first century B.C. and the fifth century A.D., has resurfaced in the Imperial Forums, slightly larger than life-size and in excellent condition.

The discovery was made in recent days by archaeologists from the Capitoline Superintendency of Cultural Heritage. The director of the archaeological and historical-artistic museums of the Sovrintendenza, Claudio Parisi Presicce, said that “in all probability it is a male deity, which we think should be identified with Dionysus. On his head, in fact, he has a belt decorated with a typically Dionysian flower, the corymbus, and ivy. The hollow eyes, which were probably made of glass paste or precious stones make us trace it back to the early centuries of the empire.”

“The surface is not fully visible because we did not carry out an immediate cleaning, believing that traces of color may be preserved in the band that encircles the hair,” he added. The sculpture has already been transferred to the Imperial Forum Museum at the Markets of Trajan to proceed with restoration when possible. Regarding the provenance of the head found, “it comes naturally to think that it comes from the Forum of Trajan, although sometimes these fragments have been around a lot...” concluded Claudio Parisi Presicce.

Stunned the experts, “Extracted from the earth, it was revealed in all its beauty: the face, with its soft, smooth surfaces, is slightly tilted; the mouth is half-open; the hollow eyes, perhaps in ancient times filled with glass paste, accentuate the pathos. The hairstyle is thick and wavy, falling to the shoulders and held in place by a bandage, from which two corymbs (ivy inflorescences) protrude. Overall, the appearance is benevolent and refined; the features are those of a young, feminine face, and everything suggests that it may be the god Dionysus. Archaeologists, on the other hand, are already at work to restore it to its history and to identify its exact attribution.”

Source: Evening Courier

White marble head of deity unearthed in Imperial Forums

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