ROMAN PERIOD, CIRCA LATE 1ST CENTURY A.D.

Her black-painted hair is arranged in rows of circular curls at the front and pulled into a chignon at the crown of the head, with a straight nose, high cheek bones, and a rounded chin, the small mouth pursed into a smile. She wears an applied beaded necklace, some beads preserved high on the neck, and with portions of a blue-green mantle preserved behind the head. For similar female masks wearing large necklaces of different shaped beads high up on their necks, see S. Walker and M. Bierbrier, Ancient Faces, London, 1997, pp. 134 and 136-137, nos 137 and 141-142.

Richard Avedon (1923-2004) was an influential American photographer known for his groundbreaking work in fashion and portrait photography. He rose to prominence with his innovative style, characterized by dynamic compositions and a focus on the personality of his subjects. His fashion work, notably for Harper's Bazaar and Vogue, broke traditional norms by capturing models in movement and unexpected settings. Beyond fashion, Avedon's portraits of cultural figures, political leaders, and everyday people, often shot against stark white, revealed deep emotional insight. His work profoundly shaped modern photography, blurring the lines between art and commerce.