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LOT 0062
Etruscan Bronze Statuette of Hercle
CIRCA 4TH-3RD CENTURY B.C.
3 in. (4 in.) (87 grams total, 77 mm (10.2 cm high including stand)).
Modelled in the round figure of Hercle (Roman Hercules, Greek Herakles) standing nude with the lionskin mantle draped over his extended left forearm, the right arm bent and fist raised (originally holding a club); the hair cut short and radiating from the crown of the head, lentoid eyes flanking a snub nose; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceFrom the estate of Eldert Bontekoe (1954-2020).
Ex Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, acquired before 2000.
with Artemis Gallery, Colorado, USA, 26 December 2020, no.8.
Property of a South Australian private collector, with collection reference 20.38.
Accompanied by an original Artemis Gallery certificate of authenticity dated 27 January 2021.
Accompanied by detailed collector's catalogue pages including description and photograph.
Cf. Adam, A.M., Bronzes étrusques et italiques, Paris, 1984, p.190, nos.291-292; cf. also The Metropolitan Museum, New York, accession number 96.9.297.
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Etruscan Terracotta Alabastron
6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Capsule-shaped with cylindrical neck and flange rim decorated with pellets; solid coloured band to the shoulder above a frieze of racing hounds; band of pellets below; broad strap handle beneath the rim. 87 grams, 13.1 cm
Ex Ancienne collection, W. Hartmann de Geneva. European private collection. -
Hellenistic Painted Terracotta Figure of Aphrodite
Mid 4th-mid 3rd century B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,111
Bearing the weight of her body on her left leg, wearing a himation draped over her left and right arms, the right arm bent to grasp a part of the himation that falls behind her, leaving her shoulders uncovered and revealing her naked body; the head turned slightly to the left; the hair arranged in the typical flattering melon coiffure, parted into six large sections and gathered into a low bun; oval face with a small, fleshy mouth and a fine nose; wearing large circular earrings; her right hand resting on top of a small pillar, covered by the cloak; the lower part of the himation embroidered with volutes; the back flat with a square hole for attachment; red-brown pigment on the hair, white coating, traces of pink on the himation and red on the edges of the feet. 493 grams, 22.5 cm high
Collected in the 1950s-1990s. Ex R. Liechti collection (1934-2010), acquired in Geneva. Accompanied by an academic report by Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11999-211931.
In particular in South Italy, two types of female statuettes leaning on small pillars were widespread, derived from Tanagra prototypes: the first type dressed in a high-belted chiton with crowned head, the second consisting of partially draped or nude female figures identified as Aphrodite, like our specimen. The Tanagra production ended in about 200 B.C., but the models created by the Boeotian workshops would continue to be produced until the end of the 1st century B.C. The statuette shows extensive traces of the original polychromy, characterised by strongly contrasting hues in keeping with the local style. The Tanagrine elements are mainly identifiable in the ‘melon coiffure’, the intense red colour of the hair and the pose characterised by the turned hip. -
Daunian Painted Terracotta Storage Jar
Circa 5th-4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Ovate in profile with slightly stepped lower body, everted rim; circumferential painted bands, hatching and herringbone patterns. 1.13 kg, 25 cm high
Acquired Bonhams, London, UK. From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.