A Woman Portrait Bust from Central Çallıca Village (Cormasa)

Abstract

The portrait bust, which is well-preserved in garden of the Burdur Museum, was acquired by the museum in 1987. The artefact, which was purchased from a citizen, was found in the central village of Çallıca in Burdur. The portrait bust, thought to be a find from Cormasa near the village, was sculpted from limestone. The bust of the woman, which has not been published until the present day, has been identified by the necklace around her neck and her iconography, and a period has been suggested by the hairstyle on her head and other stylistic features. The crescent motif at the end of the necklace designed with multiple spheres around the woman's neck is important for the identity of the artefact. The woman portrait with the shawl on her head and the necklace around her neck symbolizes the priestess of Men. This shows that the cult of Men, of whom centre in Pisidia is Antioch, was also present in Burdur. The woman head with the “Ceres” type hairstyle, which was designed with wavy hair tresses separated from the centre of the forehead on both sides and tightly processed at the transitions, was sculpted by being inspired by the portraits of the emperor's wife Vibia Sabina during the period of Hadrian (117-138 AD). The other stylistic features in the woman portrait, of which hairstyle fashion suggests the Hadrian period, also make it possible to date the artefact to the Early Hadrian period. There was a strong Neoclassicism during the period of emperor Hadrian. Therefore, in the portraits of the period, the characteristic features of the sculpted people were idealized (beautified). The characteristics of the portrayed woman, on the other hand, are realistic. Finally, in the Late Hadrian period (after 130 AD), the pupil and iris were carved with a single drill stroke for the first time. On the woman head, the pupil and iris were not processed, although the characteristic features were realistically reflected. With these important stylistic features, it is possible to date the priestess of Men to before 130 AD.