Head of Augustus, Emperor of Rome ('The Meroë Head')

Roman

British Museum

circa 27-25 BC

Astonishingly well-preserved - even down to the coloured eyes - this head depicts that of the Emperor Augustus, who ruled Rome from 31 BC to AD 14. To judge from the pose of the head and muscles of the neck, the complete statue was a standing figure, with the right arm raised, as if during allocution. The head is larger than life-size and is in rich green patina. It was excavated in 1910, from beneath the temple at the palace site of Meroe, near Kabushia in Sudan. The sculptor was possibly a Greek artist based in Alexandria.

• Medium: bronze with alabaster, glass & coral inlay
• Dimensions: 47.7cm
• Art Fund Grant: £1050 ( Total: £1,050)
• ArtFunded in: 1911
• Vendor: Liverpool University

Provenance

Found: December 1910, palace site at Meroe, near Kabushina in Sudan by Professor John Garstang.

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