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LOT 0135
Eastern Roman Stone Relief of Medusa
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
21 in. (33.1 kg total, 53 cm including stand).
With a ledge to the base, carved high-relief mask of Medusa with complex banded hairstyle with diadem to the brow, lateral tresses framing the face developing to serpents forming a 'Hercules knot' beneath the chin; the face with deep-set eyes beneath a heavy brow, prominent nose above pursed lip; the base keyed to accept a plaster overlay; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceEx P.A., Hertfordshire, UK, specialist collection of Greek art, 1980-1990s.
LiteratureCf. similar in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession number 20.215.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Bronze Antinous Balsamarium
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,405
Comprising the bust of Antinous or Bacchus (Greek Dionysus); the head modelled in the round, hair with voluminous waves, semi-naturalistic facial features, muscular neck and chest, two loops at the sides for the handle, silver inlaid eyes restored with black glass pupils. 300 grams, 10 cm
Acquired on the German art market before 2000. From an EU collection before 2020.
The balsamarium (ointment or balsam container), is a modern term reflecting the Roman use of relatively small vessels as containers for aromatic oils, or storing and dispensing cosmetic liquids and/or scented powdered substances. These vessels were produced in the first three centuries of the Roman Empire in a variety of forms, including busts and animal shapes. The present balsamarium testifies to the power of imperial imagery and its dissemination across the empire, as the vessel portrays Antinous, Emperor Hadrian's ‘favourite’, whose untimely death in a boating accident led to his deification. The general facial characteristics of our figure are consistent with the stylistic portrait features of late antiquity and the personal features of Antinous, here appearing with large almond-shaped eyes, set into slightly upturned, incised pupils. -
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Onyx Gemstone with Hercules
Roman, 2nd-3rd century A.D. or laterEstimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
Intaglio of Hercules stepping over a sleeping dog to receive a hen from an opposed female; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.35 grams, 20 mm
From the collection of a Swiss gentleman formed in Europe from 1970-1980s; thence by descent from the family in London. -
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Roman Glass Intaglio Showing Two Gryphons Attacking a Deer
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Ellipsoid glass cloison with incuse image of two gryphons attacking a deer; set in a later silver ring. 18.57 grams, 30.95 mm overall, 22.99 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
The subject of griffins attacking a deer has a long history and remained popular during the Hellenistic and Roman period throughout the Mediterranean area and beyond. It may be a symbol of the inevitability of death.
