Unknown Greek
Head of Poseidon / Antigonos Doson

CultureHellenistic
Titles
  • Head of Poseidon / Antigonos Doson
Date227–221 BC
PlaceGreece
MediumBronze
Dimensions11 3/8 × 7 3/4 × 9 1/2 in. (28.9 × 19.7 × 24.1 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase funded by Isabel B. and Wallace S. Wilson
Object number2001.150
Current Location
The Audrey Jones Beck Building
203 Crane Gallery
On view

Explore Further

Department
Antiquities
Object Type
Description

 Larger-than-life-size Greek bronze statues were the undisputed masterworks of ancient times. They often represented royalty as gods, but the identity of the ruler depicted in this famous MFAH head of Poseidon was a mystery--until the museum acquired an ancient silver coin.

The statues were focal points of temples and important public places, and they served as models and inspiration for the classical sculptures known today. Unfortunately, few ancient statues have survived in complete form. Distinguishing attributes and characteristics are largely missing, so coins of the period are often an important source for identifying gods, royalty, and important persons.

This internationally recognized sculpture created during the Hellenistic period (300–30 BC) is a case in point. His identity was unclear until an exceptionally fine tetradrachm--an ancient Greek silver coin worth four drachmas--entered the MFAH collection. Minted during the reign of Macedonian king Antigonos Doson (227–221 BC), the coin provided a possible solution.

The world conqueror Alexander the Great and his successors, including Antigonos Doson, associated themselves with the gods. Coins featuring Antigonos Doson portray him as Poseidon, god of the sea--a reference to his reestablishment of Macedonia's supremacy over the sea. The bronze head and silver coin both have fine facial bone structure, deep-set eyes, full open lips, and baroque curls of hair and beard that suggest the turbulence of waves. The windswept locks are barely bound by the fillet that serves as a crown. The head and coin define the height of Greek portraiture: god and mortal intertwined with a splendid infusion of divinity and naturalism.


ProvenanceLudwig von der Emde, Berlin (died 1930s), by early 1920s [1]; by descent to his son (d. 1940s) and daughter-in-law, 1930s–late 1940s [1]; purchased by Helmut Fabian (1925–2012), Basel, late 1940s-2000 [2][3]; [Phoenix Ancient Art S.A., Geneva, 2000-2001]; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 2001.

[1] Letter from Dr. Friederike Grosse (d. c. 2007), granddaughter of Ludwig von der Emde, March 18, 2001.
[2] Letter from Helmut Fabian, February 10, 2000.
[3] Conversation with Helmut Fabian, October, 2001.
Exhibition History"Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World," J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, July 28–November 1, 2015; The National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., December 6, 2015–March 20, 2016.

"The Marzio Years: Transforming the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, 1982–2010," Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, October 25, 2020–January 10, 2021.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
There are no evident marks or signatures.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

If you have questions about this work of art or the MFAH Online Collection please contact us.

Ushnisha, Covering for the head of the Buddha
Unknown Indonesian
9th–10th century
Gold and rock crystal
2004.2248
Head of Poseidon/Antigonos Doson
Unknown Greek
227–221 BC
Silver
2004.1354
Markandeya Refers Jaimuni to the Four Wise Birds
Unknown Indian
c. 1800–1820
Gouache with gold on paper
2013.61
Portrait of a Young Woman
Rembrandt van Rijn
1633
Oil on wood
2004.3
front of object
Unknown Central and South American
900–200 BC
Gold
2010.885
Overall front
Unknown African
Early 20th century
Wood, glass beads, and brass
2023.145
Mantle
Unknown Central and South American
c. 900–200 BC
Camelid wool and cotton
2010.1075
Cappella del Palazzo Riccardi.  Paese con animali diversi.
Romualdo Alinari
1850–1859
Gelatin silver print
2000.262.32
Incensario Stand
Unknown Central and South American
c. 600–900
Earthenware with pigment
2018.637
Incensario Stand
Unknown Central and South American
c. 600–900
Earthenware with pigment
2018.638
Wutala, Ancestral Crown
Unknown Indonesian
17th–18th century
Gold
2004.2308
Necklace
Unknown Indonesian
17th–19th century
Gold
2004.2305