1988 - Roman Aphrodite
The acquisition of this marble head of Aphrodite in 1987 was made possible through a considerable and generous donation from the Alumni Association of The University of Queensland. The sculpture is one of the most significant pieces in the Antiquities Museum collection.
The sculpture likely derives from an original cult statue of the Cnidian Aphrodite, sculpted by a renowned Greek artist, Praxiteles. Such Greek masterworks were widely copied in Rome and are often our only evidence of earlier sculptures. This sculpture was likely used as an ornament in a Roman house or garden and may once have been in the collection of Clive of India.