Roman, ca. A.D. 136–138
Marble, 20 7/8 in. (53 cm) high
The Leonard C. Hanna, Jr., B.A. 1913, Fund and the Stephen Carlton Clark, B.A. 1903, Fund
1992.2.1
This portrait bust represents an adult woman, dressed in chiton and himation, with a small mouth, heavy brow, and almond-shaped eyes. Her hair is parted in the center and brushed sideways in waves over her ears, then swept upward to form coils of braids on the crown of her head. At least two other replicas of the same portrait type exist, suggesting that its subject is a member of the Roman imperial family. The most likely identification is Avidia Plautia, the mother of Lucius Verus (Roman emperor A.D. 161–169). It is suggested that this portrait predates the accession of Verus in A.D. 161, belonging instead to the Hadrianic period, when Aelius, Avidia's husband, served as Caesar and was the designated successor to the imperial throne.
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