Head from a Statue of a Worshipper
Head from a Statue of a Worshipper
Place of OriginCyprus, perhaps from Golgoi
Dateabout 450 BCE
Dimensionswithout base: 14 1/2 × 7 1/2 × 9 in. (36.8 × 19.1 × 22.9 cm) (H x W x D)
MediumLimestone.
ClassificationSculpture
Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number
1958.15
On View
Toledo Museum of Art (2445 Monroe Street), Gallery, 02, Classic
DescriptionCarved limestone head of a bearded male figure, likely from a votive statue. The face features broad, stylized planes, large almond-shaped eyes, and a thick, patterned beard. A wreath of laurel encircles the head.
Label TextThis limestone head once belonged to a votive statue placed in a Cypriot sanctuary. Such figures were not portraits in the modern sense but stood in for worshippers themselves. By setting up a statue, a devotee ensured that prayers would be offered endlessly, even when they were absent.
Cyprus was famous for this tradition. Sanctuaries could contain hundreds or even thousands of votive images, arranged in rows around an altar or built into the walls. The stylized features of this head—a patterned beard, large almond eyes, and a wreath tied to the cult of Apollo—follow the standard formula that made all votaries look alike. Subtle variations in costume, headgear, or offerings signaled differences in identity, but the overall message was clear: a community gathered in perpetual devotion before its gods.
Published ReferencesArt News, vol. 58, no. 4, May 1959, p. 37.
Guide, Toledo Museum of Art, 1959, p. 6, repr.
Art Quarterly, vol. 22, no. 1, Spring 1959, repr. on cover.
Late 2nd to early 3rd century CE
Late 19th century
6th through 5th century BCE
5th Dynasty (2498–2345 BCE)
150-200 CE
5th Dynasty (2498–2345 BCE)
mid-2nd to early 3rd century CE (Severan?)
Early Dynastic Period II-III, about 2600 BCE
2nd - 1st century BCE
1st century BCE - 4th century CE
18th Dynasty (1550-1292 BCE), about 1350 BCE
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