An ancient Greek terracotta grotesque head with an indent in his forehead and pronounced lips, eyelids, and nose and bags under his eyes.
Alexandria, Egypt.
Ca. 4th - 1st century BC.
Height: 1 1/2 in. (4 cm).
Grotesque figures during the Roman period were thought to have induced a form of empathy and disgust to its viewer. The caricature’s meaning is contextual, which was communicated in antiquity through visual means.
cf.: Catalogue of Greek Terracottas in the British Museum, Volume III; Lucilla Burn and Reynold Higgins, 2396 1:1
Formerly in an Edinburgh, Scotland private collection.