Head of a Ptolemaic Queen is presented here as a 3D-printed replica of the ancient marble sculpture now housed in the Ephesos Museum in Vienna. The original, dated to the 3rd century BCE, is a larger-than-life fragment from a royal statue connected to the Ptolemaic world of the Hellenistic eastern Mediterranean. Although incomplete, the surviving head still conveys the restraint, dignity, and idealised authority expected of a queen’s image in antiquity.
This replica preserves the defining qualities of the original fragment: the composed facial expression, the refined modelling, and the monumental character that once belonged to a full draped statue. It should be understood not as a reconstruction of the lost whole, but as a material reproduction of the surviving sculptural fragment. That gives the object much of its distinctive appeal. It represents both what has endured and what has been lost.
The image has traditionally been identified as a Ptolemaic queen, though no secure inscription confirms the sitter’s exact identity. That uncertainty does not diminish the object’s importance. On the contrary, it places the sculpture within the broader tradition of Hellenistic royal portraiture, where likeness was often combined with idealisation in order to project dynastic legitimacy, political authority, and cultivated beauty. As a replica, this piece carries that same visual logic into a contemporary format suitable for study, display, or collecting.
Part of the interest of the original lies in its surviving sculptural evidence. The head once belonged to a larger statue of a cloaked female figure, and traces on the back and neck suggest that additional elements may once have completed the royal image. Modern viewers encounter the work as a fragment in white marble, but ancient sculpture was often more complex in finish and structure than its present condition suggests. This replica therefore offers a way to engage directly with the surviving form of an ancient royal image while remaining faithful to the fragmentary state in which it is known today.
Available materials:
- White Nylon
Polished for a smoother surface and pleasant tactile finish. This is the most economical material option. - Black Nylon
Treated after printing and finished with Color Touch. This gives the object a uniform black colour, strong resistance to scratching and rubbing, and stable consistency across production batches. - Bronze
Produced through a metal casting process based on a 3D-printed wax master and plaster mould. This material gives the replica an elegant and substantial metallic appearance. - Gold Plated Brass
Created through the same casting method, then finished with gold plating. The result is a refined metal surface with a distinctly luxurious character. - White Rhodium Plated Brass
Also cast from a 3D-printed master and finished with white rhodium plating. This option provides a bright, elegant metal finish with a cool tone.
Objects that are too large for a given production process may be produced at a reduced scale relative to the original.
