Head of a Foreign Warrior

300–200 BCE

Greece, Alexandria or the Levant

Medium

marble with traces of paint

Measurements

Overall: 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1929.440

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Location

102C Greek

Did You Know?

There is a small notch below the cap's crest that likely held an attachment, now lost.

Description

This miniature head depicts a man with wild curls that still retain their original red pigment. He is immediately revealed as a non-Greek by his carved mustache, associated with Celtic tribes, and cone-shaped hat called a Phrygian cap, associated with eastern peoples such as the Persians. During the Hellenistic period, various non-Greek peoples served as mercenaries or fought against the Greek kingdoms, and these foreign warriors were depicted extensively in art.