Romano-British figure
- Gallery: Room 49
- Culture: Romano-British
- Date: 54-59 (Accession Portrait style (II))
- Object type: figure
- Materials: copper alloy
- Museum number: 1965,1201.1
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is a Romano-British figure, a finely crafted copper alloy head of Emperor Nero. This piece represents a life-size statue. Take a look at the face—heart-shaped with a strong chin, a notable nose, and large, slightly slanting eyes. The ears are low-set and prominent. His hair is styled in thick strands moving forward from a flattish crown, forming a heavy fringe that splits just over the right eye.
The portrait reflects the style of Nero’s reign in the mid-fifties AD. The hair suggests a regional interpretation, possibly based on coins rather than original Roman models. The eyes once held inlays, adding striking depth.
This head was discovered in Suffolk, near the boundary between two ancient tribes. It may have been an offering, cast into a river. The image offers a rare glimpse of Roman influence in Britain—and of the Emperor himself, captured in bronze.
See it in person
Romano-British figure is on display in Room 49 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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