Marble Head of Apollo at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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The intricately styled hairdo bears a striking resemblance to the youthful representation of Apollo in statues dating back to the late 6th and early 5th centuries B.C. Archaizing figures were indeed popular during the Roman period, and this head, likely set atop a rectangular herm shaft, would have served as an elegant garden ornament. Observing its concave eyes reveals that jewels were used to represent his gaze. This statue, of which only this head remains, was expertly carved from Pentelic marble. Apollo, one of the most complex and revered Olympian deities in classical Greek and Roman religion and mythology, is a multifaceted god associated with music, truth, prophecy, healing, the sun, light, plague, poetry, and more. As the son of Zeus and Leto, Apollo shares a twin sister, the chaste huntress Artemis, and is known in Etruscan mythology as Apulu. In his role as the patron deity of Delphi (Pythian Apollo), Apollo served as an oracular god, guiding the prophetic Delphic Oracle. Medicine and healing are closely tied to Apollo, whether through the god himself or mediated by his son Asclepius, yet Apollo is also associated with bringing illness and deadly plague. Amongst his many responsibilities, Apollo became linked to dominion over colonists and as the patron defender of herds and flocks. As the leader of the Muses (Apollon Musegetes) and director of their choir, Apollo functioned as the patron god of music and poetry. Hermes created the lyre for him, and the instrument became a common attribute of Apollo. Hymns sung to Apollo were called paeans. In Hellenistic times, particularly during the 3rd century B.C., as Apollo Helios he became identified among Greeks with Helios, Titan god of the sun, and his sister Artemis equated with Selene, Titan goddess of the moon. In Latin texts, Joseph Fontenrose declared himself unable to find any conflation of Apollo with Sol among the Augustan poets of the 1st century, not even in the invocations of Aeneas and Latinus in Aeneid XII (161–215). Apollo and Helios/Sol remained separate beings in literary and mythological texts until the 3rd century C.E. (Credit: MetMuseum, Wikipedia) This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for public access. Scan the World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can participate. Scanned using Photogrammetry (Processed with Agisoft PhotoScan)