UNPUBLISHED MARBLE HEAD OF SERAPIS KEPT IN THE GRAND EGYPTIAN MUSEUM

Abstract

This paper deals with a marble head of Serapis, kept in the Grand Egyptian Museum (Gem.34206). The head was found in Diospolis Magna (modern Luxor); its height is about 46cm, while the width is 32cm. The head is well-preserved. It is carved in marble. The head is broken off from the bottom part of the neck, which indicates that the head probably belonged to a colossal statue of Serapis. The artistic treatment of the head, in particular the hairstyle above the forehead and also the beard, plus the lack of information concerning the find-spot of the head in Luxor which make it difficult to determine the exact date and archeological context.All comparative examples presented in this paper indicate that this head probably represents a head of the god Serapis. The paper discusses the problem of the find-spot of the head. It suggests that the head was probably found in the site of the Roman camp

Keywords

• luxor
• serapis
• anastole
• hadrian
• roman period