A Giallo Antico Herm Bust of a Hellenistic Ruler, Roman Imperial, circa 1st Century A.D.

with parted lips and formerly inlaid eyes, and wearing an aegis and helmet with twin ram's horns in front, fragmentary crest, and a ram's head pendent before each ear, the cheek-pieces fastened at the chin, the ends of his diadem falling over the shoulders.

the estate of Naomi Borwell (1928-2010), Chicago, Illinois

As shown, note chips to front and corners of base, tip of nose, eyelids, helmet's visor, and tips of ram's heads on top of visor, crest fragmentery, root-marks preserved in most areas especially below chin and cheeks, flat surface in back is smooth and lightly pitted intentionally in antiquity for better adhesion of cement used to secure herm to herm shaft, back also has a circled number in pencil (341).
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For other examples in Naples, Cambridge, Iena, Hannover, Vienna, and Berlin, cf. G. Korres, Ta meta kephalôn kriôn kranê. Hê kephalê kriou hôs emblêma archês, Athens, 1970, pls. 40-42. Also see C. Rückert, "Miniaturhermen aus Stein. Eine Vernachlässigte Gattung kleinformatiger Skulptur der römischen Villegiatur," Madrider Mitteilungen, vol. 39, 1998, pp. 177-178, for a summary of the various identifications suggested for this type of bust since the 1860s: among them Mars, Alexander the Great, Mithridates VI of Pontus, and Pyrrhos of Epirus, the latter individual now appearing to be the most likely candidate. The author lists all examples known to her at the end of her article. Among examples sold at auction are Sotheby's, London, December 3rd, 1991, no. 323, and Sotheby's, New York, June 12th, 1993, no. 149.