| Artist | |
|---|---|
| Place of production | Rome, Michele Gherardi |
| Date | early 20th century (plaster cast), 120-150 AD (original) |
| Object type | plaster cast |
| Medium, technique | plaster |
| Dimensions | 126 x 84 x 52 cm |
| Inventory number | Ag.323 |
| Collection | Classical Antiquites - Plaster casts |
| On view | Star Fortress (Komárom), Portraits of Roman Emperors, Gallery XI |
The portrait in the Vatican depicts Plotina (65—121 AD), wife of Emperor Trajan. We do not know if the portrait head originally belonged to a statue or a bust; the bust it is now attached to is modern. Almost all surviving portraits of Plotina share a high, fanshaped hairstyle rising from a ponytail above her bangs, and framing her forehead. At the back of the head her hair is tied into a large, tight ponytail composed of several smaller locks. The locks show the use of a drill, which became widespread in the period after the reign of Trajan. The portrait was probably made after the death of the empress.
Hekler, Antal, Az antik gipszgyűjtemény I-II., Budapest, 1919-1920, 1923, no. no. 417.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
