Description
Even without his club or lion skin, the short curly hair and full curly beard identify this miniature head as that of Herakles. The eyes and mouth were likely once inlaid. His upward gaze suggests the head may be based on the Herakles Epitrapezios by Lysippos, the personal sculptor of Alexander the Great. The original Herakles Epitrapezios survives only through copies, including this one as well as a slightly later marble version also in Cleveland (among many others). This head was refashioned into a weight, probably in the Roman period, by filling it with lead and adding holes for a hook.
Provenance
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Accession Number
1971.71
Medium
bronze filled with lead
Dimensions
Overall: 9.5 cm (3 3/4 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Norman O. Stone and Ella A. Stone Memorial Fund