This sculpture represents the head of a man, recognizable by the typical braid hairstyle. He does not seem to belong to the nobility, as the corresponding status jewelry is missing. It was possibly made as a miniature mask in memory of an ancestor and then either attached to a wall or worn on the belt (or elsewhere on the body), for which there is an attachment eyelet on the back. The head was considered the most important part of the body and the essence of a living being's powers and personality. This object is probably a memorial head for an ancestor, as they were also placed on the altars of chieftain lineages at least since the early 19th century. Ancestors can be recognized by the unmoving posture and the large, protruding eyes. Thus, the "bourgeois" families of rich merchants, for example, imitated the royal ancestor cult. We would thus be dealing with a non-royal counterpart to the commemorative heads (005410, 005379) and the ivory mask (F50565). Text: Dietmar Neitzke.