Marble Portrait Bust of a Severan Woman in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2008

Marble Portrait Bust of a Woman
Roman, Severan period, ca. 193-211 AD

Accession # 30.11.11

In the early third century AD, some marble busts became so deep as to be almost half-statues and often included the arms, giving the image a lively appearance. This young woman has a hair arrangement made popular by Julia Domna, wife of the emperor Septimius Severus (ruled 193-211 AD), and mother of the emperor Caracalla (ruled 211-217 AD). Parted at the center, long locks framed the face, covering the ears and falling almost to the shoulders before looping back to form an enormous bun at the back of the head.

Text from the Metropolitan Museum of Art label.