Head of a Gaul

Artefact Details

Gallery number: 34 – Ground Floor

Period: Roman Period (c. 30 BC– AD 306)

Place of discovery: Unknown

Size: H 37.50 cm

Material: Marble

Gauls inhabited in the region of ancient Roman Empire, specifically the territory corresponding to modern France, Belgium, southern Netherlands, Switzerland, northern Italy and Germany to the west of the Rhine River.

The Gaul is characterised by his facial features, his stiff hair and his moustache. This head is considered one of the most impressive pieces of art of its era. Although much of the head is broken off, it is still easy to recognise the warrior’s sense of pain conveyed through the contracted eyebrows, turned head and dishevelled hair.