This beautiful terracottaheadwasmadeinoneof Central Asia’smostdynamicandfascinating periods, when the mighty forces of east and west were coming into full contact in the wake of Alexander’s Empire. It bears characteristics of both endemic (Afghanistan and Bactria) and western (Greek and Mediterranean) styles.Thepieceistruncatedattheneck, andwouldonecehavebeenpartofalargesculptureorfrieze.Thefaceisnaturalistic,fullcheeks, a high forehead, sensitive lips and alongnose.Thebrowsaretenderedgeometrically,as are the eyes, which have more in common with the eastern aesthetic in theirschematic reductivism. The ears are pierced with thick rings, beneath waves and ringlets. The head is tipped very slightly to theright,lendingareflectivesensitivity.The Greco-Bactrian Kingdom covered today's northern Afghanistan and partsof Central Asia,theeasternmost area of the Hellenistic world, from 250 to125BCE.Theexpansionofthe Greco-Bactrians into northern India from 180 BCE established the Indo-Greek Kingdom, which was to last until around 10 AD. This kingdom was highly urbanized andwaswidelyconsidered to be one of the richest of the Orient, expanding to the east and thewest.Thenumerous small city states and powers began to compete to marked cultural and stylisticdiversity. The artworks of Central Asia reflect this, and there are perhaps no finer examples than Greco- Bactrian portraiture like the current example. Theidentityofthepersonportrayed is uncertain, but is likely to represent a king or ancestor, that wouldhavebeendisplayed asasocialpointforthesocietyinquestion.Bactrian Royal Head-LO.1087Origin:Bactria/Afghanistan Circa: 250 BC to 125 BCDimensions: 11" (27.9cm) high Collection: Central Asia Style: Graeco-Bactrian Medium: Terracotta

Antiquities
Ancient Near East