Greek Black Gemstone with Lion

Hollow-formed with scaphoid headdress, long hair hanging behind the shoulders, heavy peplos dress extending to the floor with splayed hem and feet visible beneath; left hand held straight at the thigh, right hand in a fist between the breasts; mounted on a custom-made stand. 6.7 kg total, 57 cm including stand



Swiss private collection, assembled in the 1970s-1980s. with Galerie Serodine, Ascona, Switzerland, 1993. Collection of Dr E.N., Zug, acquired in 1995. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12858-241755.

One of the most typical 6th-century B.C. terracotta female figurines was that of a standing or seated woman wearing a chiton tunic and a himation over it. It was a votive figure offered to the shrines or temples, usually representing the goddess Demeter. The headgear, polos, was an element usually identifying the goddess Demeter or her daughter Persephone. Attica was one of the principal centres of figurine production, but Corinth continued to produce solid standing or seated females with moulded fronts and flat backs.

The scarab with anatomical detailing on the carapace, underside with a profile bust of a helmetted warrior; set in a later brooch frame with swivel mount for the scarab. 10.35 grams, 55 mm



Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13358- 257891.

Egyptian-style scarabs and scaraboids were characteristic of Etruscan art from the 8th century B.C. Originally made in Phoenicia, Cyprus or Rhodes, these objects were made of faience, blue paste, glass paste, bone, or semi-precious stones of varying hardness, from steatite to quartz, onyx and jasper. Mounted in settings on revolving pendants of precious metal, later imitated by Etruscan goldsmiths, these Egyptianising items performed prophylactic-religious functions.

Dynamic scene featuring a nude, muscular satyr engaged in coitus with a young maenad; the satyr depicted with long curly hair and long dressed beard, a crown of ivy leaves resting on his head, holding the hand of the maenad with his right hand and her waist with the other; the maenad depicted in a half-kneeling position with her right hand grasping the beard of the satyr; partial Greek inscription above 'KTETO' referring to the artist Epiktetos. 31.2 grams, 11.7 cm



Oswald Burchard collection, Zurich, until 1983. M. Hess collection, Hotel Jura, Basel. Private collection, Germany. Private collection, London. One fragment, Antikenmuseum [ACR] Auctions, 17, 30 June 2015, no.14. Two fragments, Bertolami Fine Art, Auction 43, 19 April 2018, no.55. Comprising three fragments, subsequently joined. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13326-258216.

Epiktetos is considered a master of the circular image and painted mainly the interiors of cups—specifically "eye-cups," so named because of the two painted eyes on the exterior, which likely served an apotropaic function. His so-called "bilingual" vases feature black-figure painting on the interior, while the exterior of the bowl is decorated in the red-figure style. He painted few mythological scenes: Theseus confronting the Minotaur; a red-figure cup fragment attributed to him depicts Hermes, Apollo, and Artemis or large-scale compositions; instead, he mostly depicted scenes from daily life (an archer, a mounted warrior, figures at a banquet, a sculptor at work), as well as erotic scenes featuring men or satyrs.