Head
c.180 BC-50 BC or 4th century-5th century AD (made)
| Place of origin |
The head of an old man, in terracotta. Brown with whitish deposits. The face is gaunt, with sunken cheeks, arched eyebrows and a bald head.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | old man; Sculpture, terracotta, Taxila, Gandhara, Pakistan, 2nd century BC-5th century AD |
| Physical description | The head of an old man, in terracotta. Brown with whitish deposits. The face is gaunt, with sunken cheeks, arched eyebrows and a bald head. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Object history | From the collection of Colonel D.H. Gordon, D.S.O., O.B.E. This head reflects the strong Greek and Roman influences in the area of Taxila and Gandhara in nothern Pakistan. After the arrival of Alexander the Great of Macedonia (336-323BC), who crossed the Indus in 327BC, and a very brief period of Greek rule, the Hellenistic kingdom of Bactria to the north-west survived for a while and Greek kingdoms were established in Gandhara in the early 2nd-1st centuries BC. These influences were subseqently sustained by trade and cultural contacts with the Roman empire. |
| Production | Ascribed to the Hellenistic period in Taxila (the period of Greek rule in this region spanning the 2nd century BC to the 1st century BC), this figure also has some affinities with terracottas ascribed by Sir John Marshall to the 4th-5th centuries AD. |
| Bibliographic reference | Marshall, Sir John. Taxila : an illustrated account of archaeological excavations. 3 volumes, New Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass, 1951, reprinted 1977. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | IS.41-1951 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 25, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
