A Roman Marble Portrait Head of a Girl, Trajanic or early Hadrianic, first quarter of the 2nd Century A.D., on 18th-Century Marble Shoulders

turned slightly to her right, with prominent chin, full cheeks, and melon coiffure with spiral chignon, hooked curls escaping before each ear, mounted on 18th Century shoulders and socle; rim of left ear restored in marble, a small plaster fill on the chin.

George, 9th Lord Kinnaird (1807-1878), Rossie Priory, Perthsire, Scotland, acquired in Italy with his father prior to 1826
acquired at auction by the present owner

Adolf Michaelis, Ancient Marbles in Great Britain, Cambridge, 1882, p. 651, no. 29
Frederik Poulsen, Greek and Roman Portraits in English Country Houses, Oxford, 1923, p. 56, no. 32, fig. 35
Bianca Maria Felletti Maj, Museo Nazionale Romano. I ritratti, Rome, 1953, p. 78

As descrbied, remains of root marks, proper right half of hair and face appears to have been acid cleaned. The waxy appearance of this area has been toned down recently by a restorer using translucent reversible coating.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Felletti Maj (op. cit., p. 78) compares the present portrait to a head of a girl in Rome (A. Giuliano, ed., Museo Nazionale Romano, vol. I.9, 1987, p. 181f., no. R138), dated in the Julio-Claudian period. Klaus Fittschen (personal communication, 26/03/2016), on the other hand, prefers a date in the Trajanic or early Hadrianic period because the spiral chignon is reminiscent of the coiffure of the empress Sabina. He also notes that the hook-like stylisation of the curl in front of the ears is a typical element of the hairstyle of the Hadrianic period, best observed on a female portrait in Toulouse: J. Ch. Balty, et al., Sculptures antiques de Chiragan vol. I.2, 2012, pp. 172 ff., no. 9.

A Roman mosaic panel from Rossie Priory was sold at Sotheby’s, New York, December 17th, 1998, no. 181.