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Faustina the Elder (105-140 AD) was officially elevated to the rank of deity after her early death by her husband, Emperor Antoninus Pius (r. 138- 161 AD). The portrait shows her as a young woman on the threshold of becoming a matron with already slightly sagging cheeks and an approach to a double chin.

Her elaborate hairstyle was style-defining and was imitated by noble Roman women. In accordance with her rank, the portrait was given a particularly precious bust in Baroque Rome.