Ca. 300-100 BC. Graeco-Bactrian. A marble head of a man with a thick beard, hanging down in broad locks along the cheeks. His face is carefully modelled in a naturalistic fashion. The mouth features thick distinctive lips, the forehead is slightly bulging, the nose is straight. The head is bent forward and slightly to the left, featuring high brows the open, alert eyes with visible pupils, are looking nobly straight ahead. Full, extremely thick curls framing the face. The back of the sculpture is flat. This beautiful piece represents a substantial investment on the time by Bactrian artisans and may therefore have been intended to depict a god. Ancient Bactria was a region of Central Asia, north of the Hindu Kush mountains and south of the Tian Shan range. Bactria was a diverse and rich region, ruled by a successive of oppressive overlords, including the Persian Empire, Alexander the Great and his successors, but at the same time it developed its own rich and distinctive artistic culture. Excellent condition; on a custom stand. For more information on Bactria, see Mairs, R. (ed.) (2020). The Graeco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek World. London: Taylor & Francis. Size: L:190mm / W:110mm ; 2.7kg.Provenance: From the collection of a London gentleman; formerly acquired in early 2000s in Belgium; previously in 1970s European collection.