I came across an interesting article in an art history journal about a sculpted head that had originally been part of a larger sculpture in antiquity. It features a Roman woman wearing her hair in a Scheitelzopf: As the article* explains, the Scheitelzopf is a coiffure "in which a broad plait composed of many strands or braids is folded over and the nape and is brought forward" toward or over the top of the head. The article makes mention of coin portraits: "The Scheitelzopf made its first tentative appearance in the Severan period (A.D. 193-235) on the coin portraits of Plautilla (A.D. 202-205) and Julia Paula (A.D. 218-222)." Here are representative coins from my own collection to illustrate. Note the similarity of the coin portraits to the sculpture above. Plautilla, AD 202-205. Roman AR Denarius, 3.56 g, 19.2 mm, 1 h. Laodicea, AD 202. Obv: PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE, bare-headed and draped bust right. Rev: CONCORDIAE, Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 370; BMCRE 734, Cohen 7; RCV 7067; CRE 426. Julia Paula, AD 218-222. Roman AR denarius, 3.31 g 19.2 mm. Rome (some attribute to Antioch), AD 219. Obv: IVLIA PAVLA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: VENVS GENETRIX, Venus enthroned l., holding apple and scepter. RIC 222; Sear 7658; BMC 177; Cohen 21. The article continues, "Later, it was employed for portraits of Tranquillina (A.D. 238-244) and Etruscilla (A.D. 249-251)." Tranquillina AD 241-244. Roman provincial Æ 24.1 mm, 8.06 g. Thrace, Deultum, AD 241-244. Obv: SAB TRANQVILLINA AVG, diademed and draped bust, right. Rev: COL FL PAC DEVLT, Marsyas as Silenus facing right, carrying wine skin over left shoulder and raising right arm. Refs: Moushmov 3757; Youroukova 425, 4/II; cf. SNG Cop 549. Herennia Etruscilla, AD 249-253. Roman Æ sestertius, 10.53 g, 28.1 mm, 1 h. Rome, AD 250. Obv: HERENNIA ETRVSCILLA AVG, diademed and draped bust right, hair smooth and with a long plait carried up the back of the head. Rev: PVDICITIA AVG SC, Pudicitia veiled, seated left, with scepter. Refs: RIC 136b; Cohen 22; RCV 9505; Hunter 16. The article continues, noting that "in the course of the third century, especially during the Tetrarchy, the Scheitelzopf became more common and grew longer, the plait sometimes making a thick fold over the top of the head" as seen in portraits of Helena. Helena, Augusta AD 324-329. Roman billon Æ 3 centenionalis, 2.97 g, 18.3 mm. Nicomedia, AD 325-326. Obv: FL HELENA AVG, diademed and mantled bust right with necklace. Rev: SECVRITAS REIPVBLICE, Securitas standing left, lowering branch, raising robe with right hand; ΝΜΓ in exergue. Refs: RIC 129; RCV 16620; LRBC-I 1100; Cohen 12. Please feel free to post anything you feel is relevant! ~~~ *Fikret K. Yegül, A Roman Lady from a Southern California Collection, The J. Paul Getty Museum Journal, Vol. 9 (1981), pp. 63-68.
Tranquillina, wife of Gordian III, AE 26 of Singara, 10.7 grams, 12h MESOPOTAMIA, Singara Obverse: SAB TRANQVILLINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right Reverse: AVP CEP KOA CINT APA; veiled bust of Tyche right; centaur Sagittarius leaping right and discharging bow above. Reference: BMC Arabia p. 136, 14; SNG Copenhagen 258
For anyone who may be interested, The Celator had a two part article, "The Evolution of the Empresses Hairdos on Roman Coinage from Augustus to Constantine" spread between May and June 1997 issues: http://community.vcoins.com/celator-vol-11-no-05/ http://community.vcoins.com/celator-vol-11-no-06/
Domna here had just enough length of hair to make a round knot of of her braids at the back of her head. Frans btw Nice topic!
@Roman Collector , an interesting writeup of these hairstyles of late roman empresses. I am curious to know the right way to translate the German name for this style - which Google translates as "Crested pigtail". Thanks @Bob L. for the Celator links. Here's my variant on the OP Plautilla with Concordia: Plautilla Augusta, 202-205. AR Denarius Rome. Obv: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, bust of Plautilla, hair firmly waved and drawn down on neck, draped, right (aka a Scheitelzopf) Rev: CONCORDIA AVGG, Concordia, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right hand and scepter in left hand Size: 18.5mm 3.45g Ref: RIC 363b
I think the term "Scheitelzopf" is wrong in this case. (1) It is not a "Zopf" = plait (2) it is not on the "Scheitel" = vertex I have added a real "Scheitelzopf" on the Roman portrait head of a girl, Castle Howard / Yorkshire, Antique Passage, from Arachne. Best regards
I assume that Scheitel here is meant in the sense of 'parting,' while Zopf translates as 'plait.' The term thus describes the hairdo quite well: a plait of hair which is pinned up in order to cover the parting.
"Scheitel" is a parting in the hair; I think that as we can see on the coins, for each parting you do a plait (or braid as we call it in the US), it doesn't cover a parting but it is a parting made into a braid and then each "parting-braid" is pinned onto the head at different positions: laterally, upwards ....
A great topic, I have been thinking of trying to recreate this hairstyle in miniature. Will have to see how that goes! Here are some of my favorite "Scheitelzopf": Helena: Salonina: Plautilla Severina Otacilla and I think Magnia Urbica also falls into this hair category
It would be interesting to know what the latin word or description was for this particular hairstyle. Whatever it was, it is an attractive and very delicately feminine way for a lady to style her hair. Here are the ones I could find in my collection: Julia Paula. Denarius - Concordia JULIA Domna. As- Vesta. Herennia Estruscilla, As - Pudicitia
Plautilla has a bit of one going on here... Plautilla. Augusta, AD 202-205. AR Denarius Struck under Septimius Severus and Caracalla, AD 202-203. O: Draped bust right R: Concordia standing left, holding patera and scepter. RIC IV 363a, Rome mint. 18 mm, 3.7 g.
Julia Domna seems to have spent a lot of time doing her coiffure I can't even imagine how to do this one, holy molly it must also have been a headache to prepare the die and struck it on coins: Denarius, Rome, 196 - 211 AD 15 x 17 mm, 3.02 g; Ref.: RIC IV Septimius Severus 560; Cohen 97; Obv.: IVL(IA AVG)VSTA Bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back; draped, right Rev.: IV(NO) REGINA Juno, veiled, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right hand and scepter in left hand; at feet, left, peacock
Excellent write up! (& all along I thought they used that style so they could fit all the hair on the coin...)
Since I was in my early teens when I started learning German, I glanced at this title and misread "Scheitelzopf" for a word I really didn't expect to see.
