Sappho

This head portrays Sappho, the lyric poet from Lesbos (612–580 BC), identified through the classicized hairstyle associated with her later Roman portraits. Waved hair frames the forehead and temples, held by a narrow diadem and gathered into a small top knot. The piece may be from the 16th–18th c. or an ancient one extensively reworked. Sappho’s reputation as a master of intimate, musical poetry ensured her enduring presence in later art.