Czére Andrea szerk.: A Szépművészeti Múzeum közleményei 102-103. (Budapest, 2005)
MARIANNA DÁGI - MÁRIA TÓTH: A Small Portrait Head of Augustus: Archeometrical Investigations
14 POROUS. GRANULAR SURFACE OF THE HEAD 15 BOTTOM VIEW OF THE HEAD AT THF FRACTURE OF THE NECK ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTES According to the results of the scientific tests, the small portrait head of Augustus in the Collection of Classical Antiquities can be considered unique. 7 Greenish native sulphur mined in lumps —which has been identified as the raw material of the head—was well known in Antiquity. 8 Written sources often attest to the widespread use of sulphur in medicine, viticulture, warfare, various métallurgie processes, in jew r ellery-making, in wool preparation and fulling, and in religious ceremonies. 9 However, its use in sculpture is never mentioned. Gold jewellery filled with sulphur is found in the archaeological record. In these cases, sulphur was used as a filling material to protect jewellery made of embossed sheets from damage or as backing material for fixing inset parts (e.g., gems in rings). 10 No relatively large ornamental pieces, nor articles for personal use made of sulphur have as yet been found. The portrait head of Augustus might hypothetically have been used as core material for embossing thin metal sheets or pieces of foil, a known method in jewellerymaking. 11 The sculptor, having carved every detail of the head, could then take advantage of a feature of sulphur as a material, namely the ease with which it is worked. After preparing the 'core' in this way, the sculptor would have nothing more to do than to press the metal sheet or foil over it. In this case, the coating must have been made of gold, for other metals in a wet environment would react chemically with the sulphur, leading to corrosion in a short time. No traces of such a process can, however, be found on the surface of the head. The possibility which follows seems all together more likely. The fragmentary portrait head could possibly have formed part of a small object or sculpture without any coating. The suggestion made by H. R. Goette, that the head 16 PHOTOMICROGRAPH OF THE INSIDE OF THE NECK. WITH IDIOMORPHIC. LUSTROUS SOAPY CRYSTALS IN THE HOLLOW 17 MAGNIFIED PICTURE OF THE SAMPLE SU B| ECTED TO ANALYSES
