Vatican Museums

This right-facing bronze head on a modern marble base, with short hair, fine carved curls, slightly balding at the sides of the forehead and with a short beard, is the only one of the four on display in the Profane Museum that is definitely of antique origin. Discovered in Rome, at Vigna Casali on the Via Appia at Porta St. Sebastian, it was donated by Cardinal Antonio Casali to Pope Clement XIV in 1771. In 1775 it was transferred to the Library Museum.
Visconti recognised it as a portrait of Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus, member of the Roman Senate who at the age of seventy in 238 A.D., a moment of intense political-military conflicts, became emperor alongside the senator Pupienus. After a reign of just ninety-nine days, both emperors were assassinated by Praetorian Guards, supporters of Gordian III.
It cannot be excluded that the person portrayed is merely a wealthy private individual.