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LOT 0574
Greek Black-Glazed Guttus with Infant Hercules
APULIAN, 3RD-2ND CENTURY B.C.
4 1/2 in. (165 grams, 11.5 cm).
With basal ring, trumpet-shaped spout and ring handle, disc decorated with low-relief image of infant Hercules battling a snake, shoulder with palmettes; crack across the body.
ProvenanceFrom the stock of a former UK antiquarian, acquired at trade fairs and from private collection formed in the 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Europe.
Angered by his infidelity, Zeus' wife Hera attempted to kill the infant Herakles by sending two snakes to his cradle, where he slept. As the snakes coiled around the baby Herakles woke and strangled them, thus displaying his superhuman strength at an early age.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Large Greek Terracotta Deep Glazed Bowl
3rd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Glazed Slope-Ware vessel with narrow base, reserved concentric rings to the iner face; some restoration to rim; supplied with a display stand. 337 grams, 21.5 cm wide
Property of a private collector. with Bonhams, London, 16 May 2002, no.551. Private collection, UK. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00075157. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages. -
Greek Gold 'Golden Fleece' Ram-Horn Pair
5th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,240
A matched pair of sheet-gold model ram's horns, each curved with a narrow end flattened, ribbed body, flared rim to the mouth with applied granule detailing; probably from a representation of the χρυσόμαλλον δέρας or 'golden fleece' from the legend of Jason and his adventures with the crew of the ship Argo. 60.61 grams total, 10.5 cm each
From a private collection of seals and amulets, the property of a Canadian gentleman living in London; from his father's collection formed in the late 1960s to 1980s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13105-249639.
The legend of the Golden Fleece is referenced by several ancient writers, including Pindar, whose reformulation forms the basis of most modern retellings, but an earlier version was evidently familiar to Homer in the 8th century B.C. It appears as a pictorial theme on early Greek vases. The story refers to a celestial winged ram with golden wool, which was believed to live and be worshipped by the inhabitants of lands north of the Black Sea; this ram, in some versions of the tale, is transformed into the constellation Aries. -
Large Greek Bronze Spiral Fibula
Geometric, 7th-6th century B.C.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Formed from a single square-section filament rolled into two 'spectacle' discs; one of the spirals terminating in a long pin, the other in a hook serving as the catchplate; openwork figure-of-eight at the centre; pin broken, coils separated. 159 grams, 17 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
