Canosan Vase in the Form of a Woman’s Head

One of a magnificent pair, this Hellenistic sculpture was an offering at the tomb of a well-born lady. In the colorful baroque style that characterizes Magna Graecia, it depicts a slender, elegant woman–probably representing the deceased–rising from the head of a diademed goddess, who is perhaps a local version of the Bona Dea, the protector of women. Although the once bright colors have softened and faded with time, and those ancient lives are mere shadows, the sculpture remains as an evocation of the Classical world in all its glory. – (PF.1036)