IV Miscellaneous subjects
36. Human heads
The few heads with helmet or petasos are derived directly from Greek glyptic, where, however, the head alone, bearded or not, is otherwise comparatively rare. There are many of plain heads in our series and with some it is clear that an African head is intended, but on others this is not certain. The African head is more common in the half-round for a seal back in Egypt and the Levant (and cf. AGGems no. 143, p. 55, profile, scarab back). For this motif a rare Greek gem subject has been adjusted to display some eastern features, but few are in good Greek style although the occasional three-quarter face is attempted.
A. Heads with helmet or petasos; profile
The motif appears on Greek scarabs (AGGems index, s.v. Warrior), the helmet Corinthian, worn on the top of the head, very close to the type of 36/2, which has, however, what appears to be a small ram's head at the neck - not a combined type but possibly a reference to the common cheekpiece decoration. There are two examples of youths wearing a petasos, possibly a Hermes; compare the upper part of a ram-bearer, AG pl. 15.15, which might belong here.
West
36/3 Tharros pl. 60c (BM ANE 133323), London no. 392. BH; PB. Helmet, beardless; long hair. I
36/4 Munich no. 224, pl. 24 (A 1278), from Sardinia. BH. Petasos. Hermes? I
No image available
36/5 Kerkouan Museum REPPAL 9 (1995) pl. 12.28. BH. Helmet, beardless; long hair. I
No image available
East
36/6 Paris, Bibl.Nat., de Clercq no. 2822, pl. 17, from Tyre; AGGems no. 232; Nunn no. 189. BH. Helmet, bearded head. I
B. Bearded heads; profile
The types, where detailed, are Greek, but there is a number with oriental beards and caps. Most have a straight neckline like a plain collar.
West
36/9 Ibiza no. 108 (Barcelona 9373). BH. Heavily cross-hatched (cf. Tharros pl. 60g); a Levantine head type as seen on some head-seals from Cyprus (Amathus, Études Chypriotes XIII (1991) 162, pl. 5; Reyes, 34-36). IV/V
36/10 Cagliari 19833, from Tharros, BL. Oriental. Wearing broad-brimmed hat (not a petasos). III
36/11 Cagliari 19867, from Tharros. AG pl. 15.81. BH; on gold hoop C. Oriental. III
36/12 Cagliari, Chessa Coll. AG pl. 15.82; Ebers, G 45. BH. Oriental. Disc(-and-crescent?) on cap, like an eye, or like a bird-head cap? III
36/13 Carthage no. 590. BH. III
No image available
Other
36/15 Switzerland, private (W/B no. 701). Cornelian. BH; on bronze hoop A. Greek style.
No image available
36/16 Sternberg, Aukt. 22 (1989) no. 474. BL.
No image available
C. Africans heads; profile
Identified from the curly (beaded) hair, some with earring, collar or thick lips.
West
36/17 Gibraltar 25, from Gorham's Cave. AJBA 2 (1972) 135, fig. 3 (Culican); Lopez de la Orden, no. 4. BH.
36/18 Cagliari 19864. OrAnt 18 (1979) pl. 17d. BH. Crescent collar with globules. III
36/19 Cagliari 9487 (Spano 37). OrAnt 18 (1979) pl. 17c. BH. Crescent neckline. III
36/21 Cagliari 19865. AG pl. 15.83; OrAnt 18 (1979) pl. 17e. BH;PB. Hair summary, but thick-lipped. II
36/24 From the tophet, Sulcis. RSF 1 (1973) pl. 63.10. BL. I
No image available
36/25 Carthage no. 588. BH. Hoop earring. I
No image available
36/26 Carthage no, 589. BH. I
No image available
36/27 Kerkouan Museum. REPPAL 9 (1995) pl. 15.35. BH. I
No image available
D. Youthful heads
Two add an arm holding a flower to the nose, a Greek motif though not on gems. On two others the raised hand is either turned to the mouth, rather as Horus, or turned away, in the gesture of adoration. The types, where detailed, are Greek.
West
36/32 Madrid, Lazaro Galdiano Coll. (info Spier).
No image available
36/34 Cagliari 383. Anecd pl. 25.B20. BH. Wavy hair with long back locks, slim arm holding flower. III
36/35 Cagliari 19868. BH. Long crescent at neck, perhaps just a cut-off but resembling a crocodile. III
36/36 Tharros pl. 60e (BM ANE 133166), London no. 411, pl. 7. Studia Punica 1 (1987) pl. 3b (Pisano). BH. III
36/37 Tharros pl. 60g (BM ANE 133691), London no. 412, pl. 7. BH; small beetle back. Small features, closely cross-hatched hair (cf. Ibiza 108). III
36/38 From Monte Luna. RSF 8 (1980) pl. 96.1 (Costa). BH.
No image available
36/39 Milan, Torno Coll. From Sardinia (prob.). Studia Punica 1 (1987), pl. 1.2 (Pisano). BH; PB. Gross features.
No image available
E. Other; facing and three-quarter
West
36/41 Ibiza no. 110 (Madrid 37018). BH;PT. Facing bearded head with profile neck, as three-quarter. I
36/42 Tharros pl. 60b (BM ANE 133366). BH. Facing head of youth, neck and shoulder in profile. III
36/43 Carthage no. 592. Apparently a three-quarter beardless head. III
No image available
36/44 Carthage no. 709. Quillard, no. 59, pl. 6b. BH. In mount. Facing beardless head with beaded hair and crescent collar. I
36/45 Cagliari? Frontal woman's head? BAS 9.30.
No image available
Other
36/47 Harvard, Sackler 1986.556. BH. Facing bearded head with flat-topped crown, long hair gathered at either side of neck and a semicircular collar.
Other materials
Type A
36/X1 Tharros pl. 53a (BM ANE 133639). AGGems no. 233. Plain glass scarab. BH; in plain gold mount and hoop A. The helmet reversed.
36/X2 Karthago II, no. 200. Clay bulla. BH.
No image available
Type C
36/X4 From Villaricos. Astruc, pl. 20.17. Glass. BH; on gold band hoop A.
No image available
Type D
36/X6 Karthago II, no. 163 and III, no. 182. Clay bulla. RM 100 (1993) pl. 64.7; Antike Welt 28 (1997) 414, fig. 23. BH. Concentric rows of locks. Slim arm with hand raised and turned away.
Type E
36/X9 Karthago II, no. 263. Clay bulla. BH. Youth's head.
No image available
