Head of a cleric

Bottega di Arnolfo di Cambio
white limestone
13th century

The exact provenance of this sculpture is unknown despite some speculation. One of the more credible theories as to its origin is that its original location was on the tomb of Pope Urban IV who died in Deruta in 1264 and was laid to rest in San Lorenzo cathedral in Perugia (his remains were transferred to Troyes in 1935).

In the 1568 edition of Le vite de’ più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori (The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects) written by Giorgio Vasari, a painter and architect from Arrezzo, it can be read that the Cathedral of Perugia held the tombs of two popes, the aforementioned Pope Urban IV and Pope Martin IV. The exact origin of the piece has not as yet been confirmed which explains why its origin is attributed to the workshop (bottega) of the celebrated sculptor rather than the man himself.