David & Goliath - Ancient votive or funerary heads from Tunisia. The heads are all carved from a light-colored marble which is common in the region. They exhibit a unique blend of local and external artistic traditions from the Punic-Roman period. They are powerful artifacts that give us a glimpse into the religious and funerary practices of the people who lived there thousands of years ago.

The style is characteristic of the provincial art found in North Africa during the Punic and Roman periods, which blended local Berber, Punic, and Roman influences. Key features include:

Stylized Features: The faces are not meant to be perfectly realistic portraits. Instead, they are stylized, with simplified planes and exaggerated features.

Expressive Eyes: The eyes are a dominant feature. They are large, often wide and staring, and are typically deeply carved or hollowed out, which may have originally held inlaid materials like glass paste or stone to give them a lifelike appearance.

Hair: The hairstyles are varied and meticulously rendered with incised lines or textured patterns, suggesting curls, waves, or caps. Some appear almost like wigs, a common feature in art from this region and period.

Varied Expressions: While sharing a common style, each head has a unique character. Some appear serene, others more severe or abstract, with smiles or somber expressions.

Votive Offerings: They were likely created as votive offerings, given to deities in a sanctuary as a form of prayer or in thanks for a favor granted. The person who dedicated the offering may have been represented by the head.

Funerary Art: Alternatively, they could be funerary in purpose, representing the deceased and placed in tombs.

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