Head of Alexander the Great

300–200 BCE
Overall: 26.5 x 14.5 x 13.8 cm (10 7/16 x 5 11/16 x 5 7/16 in.)
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Location: 102C Greek

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Did You Know?

Portraits of Alexander the Great share his characteristic anastole hairstyle, parted off-center and swept back from the forehead.

Description

Slightly smaller than life-size, this head of Alexander the Great features a slight turn, tilt, and upward gaze said to have characterized the young conqueror's posture in life. After his death, Alexander was worshiped as a god; posthumous portraits like this one, likely carved in Ptolemaic Egypt, portray him with long hair and youthful, idealized features.
Head of Alexander the Great

Head of Alexander the Great

300–200 BCE

Greece, Alexandria, Hellenistic

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