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HOME :
Classical Antiquities :
Classical Masterpieces : Hellenistic Marble Head of Alexander The Great
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Hellenistic Marble Head of Alexander The Great - PF.6135
Origin: Mediterranean
Circa: 350
BC
to 150
BC
Dimensions:
6" (15.2cm) high
Collection: Biblical
Style: Hellenistic Period
Medium: Marble
£360,000.00
Location: UAE
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| Description |
You shall not make a carved image nor any
likeness of that which is in the heavens above or
on the earth below or in the water beneath the
earth. Shemot 20:4
This gorgeous sculpture of a Youth head is but a
fragment of a large, full-figure sculpture that
most likely decorated an ancient Greek temple or
shrine in the Holy Land. Under Greek
occupation, the Jews of Israel and their
religious beliefs were vehemently suppressed.
Following the Bar Kochba uprising of 132-135
A.D., the city of Jerusalem was almost entirely
rebuilt, including a temple dedicated to Jupiter
on the site of the Temple Mount, and renamed
Aelia Capitolina. This bust of a Youth,
representing Alexander, the King of Kings,
may have been a sculptural ornament decorating
such a temple. While the Jews formally revolted
as a community against Roman occupation on
several occasions, individuals often issued their
own objections in less formal, more discreet
manners. The broken nose on the gorgeous face
of this sculpture may be one such objection,
voiced centuries ago, whose cry for justice still
rings true. The artistic depiction of the human
form by the Greeks clearly
contradicted the tenants of the Torah. However,
instead of revolting against Greek and Roman
rule and inciting their wrath, an ancient protestor
may have defaced this sculpture in accordance
with the second commandment. Thus, this
sculpture is not merely a beautiful work of
Classical art, but also may be an important
cultural relic documenting the struggles of the
Jewish people under Roman occupation.
- (PF.6135)
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