Reproduction of Head of Venus with Pearl Earring sculpture in Getty's collection.
The distinctive hairstyle and diadem identify this small head as an image of Venus. Like her Greek counterpart Aphrodite, Venus was intimately associated with love and beauty, yet other elements were connected to the Roman goddess. Venus’s first temples were erected in Rome during the 200s BCE to solicit her assistance in battles, and individual leaders later allied themselves with the deity. Julius Caesar and his heir, Augustus, claimed descent through her son, the Trojan hero Aeneas. Depictions of Venus were plentiful in domestic settings, and many examples have been found in Pompeii. Many were displayed in gardens, appropriate to the goddess’s deep-rooted connections with vegetation and fertility, as well as her connotations of pleasure.
- Material: Resin
- Dimensions: 3.75 in H x 1.1 in W x 1.75 in L
- Includes gift box
- Care Instructions: Clean with damp cloth; no solvents
- Made in China
- Item #: ROM02
Source Object:
Title: Head of Venus
Artist/Maker: Unknown
Culture: Roman
Place: Roman Empire
Date: about A.D. 100
Medium: Bronze with gold and pearl
Object Number: 73.AB.24
Dimensions: 4.5 cm (1 3/4 in.)
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