Head of an Official in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, October 2009

Head of an Official
Early Byzantine, late 5th-early 6th centuries AD
Marble (probably from Aphrodisias in present-day Turkey)
Excavated in the Hadrianic Baths at Aphrodisas

# 1971.18

With its stubbly beard and heavily drilled mop of tight curls, this head bears a marked resemblance to others from Aphrodisias, including that of a well-preserved statue of the city's governor, Flavius Palmatus. Subtle differences suggest that this head does not represent Palmatus, but this distinctive combination of hair and beard seems to have been favored by the elite in early Byzantine Aphrodisias, who emulated fashions from the imperial court in Constantinople.

Text from the MFA label.