The head with the distinct facial features of Emperor Claudius belonged to a statue. The hole in the back of the head, in which an iron dowel was inserted before the restoration, was used to attach the statue to a wall. The small drilled hole with a metal pin above the right ear was probably used to attach a separately crafted wreath made of metal.
The special feature of this Claudius portrait lies in two details. Firstly, the portrait head was assembled from several fragments and restored "discreetly" without modern additions. Secondly, the portrait of Claudius was created by reshaping another portrait head. This can be seen in the traces of sculptural treatment, e.g. the double framing of the upper eyelids and the five small holes above the forehead. They served as fixation holes for hair attachments made of stucco. The original portrait can be assumed to be of Caligula, who was subjected to damnatio memoriae (erasure of memory) after his assassination. (AVS)
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