Head of Demetrios Poliorketes at The Cambridge Cast Collection

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The bust of a youthful male figure, crafted from marble likely sourced from Pentelicus, showcases a serene countenance with distinctive features that allude to his divine lineage. A taenia adorns his thick, curly hair, which sprouts small bull-like horns, signifying a direct connection to Zeus and Amon-Ra. The subject's gaze is fixed upon the celestial expanse, conveying an air of inspiration reminiscent of Hellenistic dynasties that emulated Alexander the Great. This depiction bears striking similarities to a bronze statuette discovered in Herculaneum, now housed at the National Archaeological Museum in Naples (inv. 5026), as well as numerous portraits on coins minted after 295 B.C., such as those featuring Demetrius I Poliorcetes, described by Philodemus in 'The Mirror for Princes'. These parallels have led to the identification of this bust as a representation of the "man who struts on account of his beauty". De Petra proposes that the figure may be Alexander the Great himself, while others, including Hekler, Laurenzi, and Richter, exercise caution due to the lack of definitive attribution and prefer a more generalized classification of the subject as a Hellenistic monarch. It is likely that this bust serves as a Roman copy of an original portrait created by Teisikrates between 320 and 280 B.C.