HEAD OF JULIA DOMNA "MATER DEA Marble H. 40 cm Eastern Mediterranean (probably Antioch), 3rd century Provenance Former English collection from the 1980s Christie's London, Antiquities, 25/10/2007, lot 204 Paris collection The face displays the characteristic features of Julia Domna as established by official Sevrierian iconography: oval face of harmonious proportions, broad, rounded forehead, large almond-shaped eyes with thick eyelids sculpted in slight relief, pronounced arch of the eyebrows, straight nose in classical profile, mouth with full lips and a slight expressive pout. The cheekbones are delicately modelled, giving the face an idealised roundness characteristic of imperial female portraits. The chin is firmly defined, evoking determination and dignity. The most spectacular feature of this sculpture is the treatment of the hairstyle and divine attributes. The hair is organised in typical Sevierian fashion, with deep waves divided by a central parting, and virtuously sculpted locks falling on either side of the face in voluminous, symmetrical masses. The hair, worked with a drill bit to create effects of depth and shadow, majestically frames the face. At the top of the head is a monumental polos (cylindrical crown) decorated with architectural motifs in high relief: arcades, niches and miniature divine figures suggesting temples or sanctuaries. This architectural crown, a characteristic attribute of Cybele (the Great Phrygian Mother) and other oriental mother goddesses, clearly identifies Julia Domna in her role as Mater Castrorum (Mother of the Camps), deified and likened to the great mother goddesses of the Greco-Oriental pantheon. Around the neck, a large necklace or torque sculpted in relief, decorated with stylised plant motifs and pearls, emphasises the divine and royal status of the figure. On the sides of the head, decorative elements in high relief suggest additional attributes, possibly ears of wheat or vine branches, symbols of fertility and abundance associated with fertility cults. Julia Domna (c. AD 160-217), wife of the emperor Septimius Severus and mother of the emperors Caracalla and Geta, exerted considerable political and cultural influence during the Severan dynasty (AD 193-235). Originally from Emesa in Syria, she brought Eastern religious and cultural traditions to the Roman imperial court, and these had a profound influence on the art and ideology of the time. Portraits of Julia Domna frequently depict her likened to the great goddesses of the Greco-Roman and Oriental worlds: Cybele, Juno, Venus, Isis and Tyche. This divine assimilation (syncretism) was a response to imperial propaganda imperatives, presenting the empress as the guarantor of the Empire's prosperity, fertility and dynastic continuity. The monumental polos decorated with miniature architecture is a specific attribute of Cybele, the Phrygian Great Mother whose cult spread massively throughout the Roman world, particularly in the eastern provinces. The representation of Julia Domna crowned with the polos explicitly identifies her with this divinity, suggesting that this sculpture probably adorned a sanctuary dedicated to the imperial syncretic cult or an honorary architectural complex in a major city in Syria or Asia Minor. Antioch, capital of the province of Syria and a cosmopolitan metropolis where Greek, Roman and Oriental traditions mingled, is a likely provenance for a work of this quality and iconographic ambition. A Roman Eastern Mediterranean Marble Head of Julia Domna 'Mater Dea'. 3rd century A.D. The face displays the characteristic features of Julia Domna as established by official Severan iconography: oval face with harmonious proportions, broad and domed forehead, large almond-shaped eyes with thick eyelids carved in slight relief, pronounced brow ridge, straight nose of classical profile, mouth with full lips showing a slight expressive pout. The cheekbones are delicately modeled, conferring upon the face an idealized roundness characteristic of imperial female portraits. The chin is firmly rendered, evoking determination and dignity. The most spectacular element of this sculpture resides in the treatment of the coiffure and divine attributes. The hair is organised according to typical Severan fashion: deep undulations divided by a central part, locks sculpted with virtuosity falling on either side of the face in voluminous and symmetrical masses. The hair, worked with the drill to create effects of depth and shadow, majestically frames the face. Atop the head rises a monumental polos (cylindrical crown) adorned with architectural motifs in high relief: arcades, niches and miniature divine figures suggesting temples or sanctuaries. This architectural crowning, characteristic attribute of Cybele (the Phrygian Great Mother) and other Oriental maternal goddesses, clearly identifies Julia Domna in her role as Mater Castrorum (Mother of the Camps) deified and assimilated to the great mother-goddesses of the Greco-Oriental pantheon. Around the neck, a broad collar or torque sculpted in relief, adorned with stylized vegetal motifs and pearls, underscores the divine and royal status of the figure. On the sides of the head, decorative elements in high relief suggest additional attributes, possibly wheat ears or vine branches, symbols of fertility and abundance associated with fertility cults. Julia Domna (ca. 160-217 AD), wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and mother of Emperors Caracalla and Geta, exercised considerable political and cultural influence during the Severan dynasty (193-235 AD). Native of Emesa in Syria, she brought to the Roman imperial court Oriental religious and cultural traditions that profoundly marked the art and ideology of the period. Portraits of Julia Domna frequently represent her assimilated to the great goddesses of the Greco-Roman and Oriental world: Cybele, Juno, Venus, Isis, Tyche. This divine assimilation (syncretism) responded to imperatives of imperial propaganda, presenting the empress as guarantor of prosperity, fertility and dynastic continuity of the Empire. The monumental polos adorned with miniature architectures constitutes the specific attribute of Cybele, the Phrygian Great Mother whose cult experienced massive diffusion in the Roman world, particularly in the eastern provinces. The representation of Julia Domna crowned with the polos explicitly identifies her with this divinity, suggesting that this sculpture probably adorned a sanctuary dedicated to syncretic imperial cult or an honorific architectural complex in a major city of Syria or Asia Minor. Antioch, capital of the province of Syria and cosmopolitan metropolis where Greek, Roman and Oriental traditions mingled, constitutes a probable provenance for a work of this quality and iconographic ambition.