A Roman marble head of a bearded male. Circa 1st-2nd Century A.D.

A Roman marble head of a bearded male. Circa 1st-2nd Century A.D.

Probably a portrait of a Greek philosopher, depicted with a serious, imposing expression, his small almond-shaped eyes set beneath a frowning browline and creased forehead, the wavy hair finely carved and swept to the right across the brow, receding slightly at the temples, with a moustache and full beard covering the lower part of his face, his adam's apple visible beneath the chin, 11in (28cm) high, some restoration, mounted. Estimate: £12,000 - 15,000

Literature: This head is typical of portraits of Greek philosophers and orators of the 4th-3rd Century B.C. Aristotle's Physiognomonica outlined certain characteristics of the 'great-souled' man including the furrowed brow and deep-set eyes; other portraits of Epikouros, Demosthenes and Hermarchos from this period demonstrate the importance of such features in portraying the character of statesmen and philosophers. Cf. A. Stewart, Greek Sculpture- An Exploration, (Yale, 1990), pp. 198-9.

Bonhams. Antiquities, 29 Apr 2009. New Bond Street www.bonhams.com (Copyright © 2002-2009 Bonhams 1793 Ltd., Images and Text All Rights Reserved)