Een overleden dame met een bijzonder kapsel

With the financial support of the Association of Friends of the Allard Pierson Museum and the Mondriaan Fund an important new acquisition came into the collection of the museum in July 2016. It is a Roman marble portrait of a bust of a young lady, circa late 1st century A.D. (inv. nr. 17.670) The coiffure of the lady is a typical example of the Flavian hairstyle:, with a towering mound of curls over her forehead and a braided bun in the neck. Although the coiffure seems frivolous, the fact that every curl and braid is carefully made and fastened, emphasizes the restraint and modesty of the woman. It is also an indication of her social status: the portrait shows a young girl, but her hairdo betrays that she is married.