MARBLE HEAD OF THE GODDESS VENUS, 25 cm height, inv.no. 1108/R

MARBLE HEAD OF THE GODDESS VENUS, 25 cm height, inv.no. 1108/R

Damaged in the nose, lips and chin areas. Despite the damage, one can notice great attention and skill used for modeling the deity’s oval face features – big almond-shaped eyes, straight nose and full lips. Wavy hair of the Venus Pudica (ashamed) is parted in the middle and collected with tenia into typical hairstyle in the form of knot (krobylos), while on the nape of her neck it is tied in a low bun. On the left side of her neck one lock is falling down. Fullness of the goddess body is implied by two arched lines on the neck, known as the Venus’s necklace, which besides sensuality expressed in the figure of the goddess, further confirms that this is representation of the goddess Venus. To the sculpture to which the head used to belong also belongs the pedestal with woman’s feet and dolphin head (inv.no. 1108a/P), which was established by spectroscopic analysis. This determined the type of Venus – that it was Venus Pudica with the dolphin. According to the sculpture stylistic features, it can be dated between the end of the 3rd century and early 4th century.

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