Lot no. 85
Presumed head of Juba II
His head, topped with small wavy locks, is encircled by a large princely headband.
Marble. Wear, dents to nose, chin, eyes and headdress.
Roman art, 1st century BC - 1st century AD.
An antique label stating "[...] presumed [...] JUGURTA young man [...] Tunisia [...]" and signed by the minister Henry Boucher.
H. 19 - W 15 - D 14 cm.
A similar head in the Musée du Louvre (n°inv. MND 261 ; Ma 3182)
Taken hostage to Rome as a child after his father Juba I, the last king of Eastern Numidia, was defeated by Julius Caesar's troops, Juba II (48 or 46 BC - 23 AD) was given a full education and Roman citizenship by Octavia. As King of Numidia (30-25 BC) and Mauritania (25-23 BC), Juba II was a learned monarch, respected for his erudition and his writings, particularly on history, fauna and the arts. Although his work has not really survived, its reputation can be traced back to Pliny the Elder's numerous references to it.
He was the husband of Cleopatra Selene II, daughter of Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony. The Royal Mausoleum of Mauretania, known as the Tomb of the Christian, in Algeria, is believed to be the husband and wife's tomb.
In 1895, Henry Boucher acquired a large amount of desert land in the Sfax region of Tunisia, which he devoted himself to transforming into olive groves until the end of his life. A street in the town was named after the minister until the end of the 20th century. He collected numerous archaeological artefacts from the region, including the Carthage Mosaic, which he donated to the Musée d'Épinal (MUDAAC) in 1910. This unusual piece, measuring 2.5 metres on each side, was discovered on Odeon hill in Carthage (Tunisia) and dates from the 2nd or 3rd century AD. It is now one of the most important archaeological finds in the Lorraine region, and bears witness to the quality of the Boucher collection in this field.
Expert : Daniel Lebeurrier.
