Just off the high of visiting the Borghese Museum in Rome and came across this quite confusing portrait of Hadrian. He appears to be sporting an ancient man bun! Assuming this is meant to be Hadrian, are there any coin portraits of him with the bun?! Sort of reminded me of some of the empress hairstyles.
In all my years of collecting, I don't recall any portraits of Hadrian showing his hair in a chignon. If anyone would know, it's @Okidoki.
It's different. Can't say I do or don't dislike it. If I were to walk past it in a museum I wouldn't right away assume it was Hadrian.
Interesting but not Hadrian. Looks to be a representation of an Eastern or Indian individual but not sure who.
I don't have any issue with the physical portrayal of the Hadrian Bust, at all. My confusion is why 67? Is it the 5th anniversary of his death? Is it referring to milecastle 67 (which would not make sense, because it has never been verified except for a few coins at 67), or possibly the 67th Bust discovered (that doesn't make sense because that is Vatican Chiarmonti, I think. Weird, but I am no expert on Hadrian milestones, but know he did not die at 67.
Went back after the gift shop purchases and asked a docent at the museum as my interest was quite piqued after these replies here. They said it’s Hadrian in mourning after the death of Antoninus and the man bun represents an extra ordinary level of grief that Romans almost never showed.
The 67 is likely some catalog or inventory number from the original Borghese collection. Keep in mind that often the bases or busts that ancient heads are mounted on in these old European collections were made during the Renaissance, Baroque, or later eras for display purposes.
This is certainly not Hadrian. If the bust is ancient (could be a Renaissance addition), the head was probably meant to portray a non-Roman ruler or deity. Roman hairstyles in men and women were very particular. Such a digression from 2nd-century hairstyles is in my view inconceivable.
No, not a catalog or inventory number. I checked. It is not the age of Antoninus Pius at death. That was 74. Antoninus was born19 Sept. 86. He died 7 Mar. 161. I can see how the bust theory you opine is possible, except the stone is the same, but your idea does work for the pedestal. I am thinking it is a simple human error, and the V (5) was not supposed to be there, if indeed it is Hadrian. However, I am starting to doubt it is Hadrian, because I have researched (as best I can) the known Busts, and this one does not show up. I am continuing to look, but I wonder if the dark stone is some tribute to Hadrian in North Africa, and the 67 has something to do with that.
