Life-size imperial portrait of fine grained white marble. The masterly worked head is slightly averted towards its right side and was originally inserted into the mortis of a statue body. The individual hair locks are naturalistically carved, except towards the back and the sides of the head. The youthful face with fine long side whiskers. The irises of the eyes are incised. The lunette shaped pupils are defined by two parallel drill holes. Excellently preserved except for the missing ancient backpart of the head and a break on the right side of the neck and tenon. Some minor nicks on the face, eyes, and neck. Top of the left ear broken off and patinated. Small break at the top of the helix of the right ear. The areas behind both ears roughly finished. Slightly honey-coloured patina with light-brownish mottling. No additions. Mounted on stand. Dimensions of the head 33.5 x 18 x 29 cm. John Pollini assigned this superb marble portrait to the second portrait type of Septimius Severus' elder son Caracalla, the so-called "Successor Type II", and dated it between 205 and 209 A.D. Published: J. Pollini, Portrait of Caracalla from the Mellerio Collection and the Iconography of Caracalla and Geta. Revue Archéologique 1, 2005, pp. 55-77. Provenance: Acquired shortly after 1900 by a French diplomat in Carthage. Then Mellerio collection (early 20th century). Then French private collection Paris. With French antique passport from 2001. US collection. With Art Loss Register certificate.USA-Lot: Shipping from the USA.Condition: II