Celtiberian Sculpture. Head of a Veiled Woman.

Large limestone bust of a veiled woman from the Iron Age, sculpted in the round. The sculpture is treated in a stylized manner, in an archaic style characteristic of the Mediterranean basin from the 6th to the 4th century BCE, contemporary with the Cypro-Archaic II sculptures. The crescent-shaped mouth is faintly indicated, as was likely the nose, in contrast with the almond-shaped eyes and deeply incised brow ridges, lending a hieratic, mute expression. The veil reveals braided hair and distinctly marked ears. She wears a twisted torque around her neck. The style of this sculpture can be compared to Iberian sculptures from Cerro de los Santos, which notably inspired Picasso. However, certain stylistic details point to other influences.

The more tubular, elongated neck, along with the ears and hairstyle, suggest other influences and evoke works produced by the Celts of southern Gaul. This rare sculpture therefore most likely originated in northern Spain or southern France (Occitania or Languedoc), at the crossroads of Iberian and Celtic cultures.
Related works:
· Female bust, Louvre Museum, Ref. AM 1557
· Female head, Louvre Museum, Ref. AM 1141
· Entremont head, Celto-Ligurian art, Grenoble Museum.
References consulted:
· Les Gaulois du Midi – De la fin de l’âge du Bronze à la Conquête romaine, Michel Py, 2012.
· La sculpture gauloise méridionale, Michel Py, 2021.
· Stylistic Study of the Sculpture from the Iberian Sanctuary of Cerro de los Santos, Élisabeth Truszkowski, 2001.