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LOT 0060
Greek Bronze Hephaistos Statuette
CIRCA 5TH CENTURY B.C.
5 1/4 in. (294 grams total, 13.5 cm high including stand).
The elegant figure depicting the Greek god of fire and metalworking seated and nude except for the pilos on his head, lean body with naturalistic detailing, shown bearded and with curly hair emerging beneath the cap; he would have once held a pair of tongs in his left hand and a hammer in his right hand; accompanied by a custom-made display stand.
Provenancewith Elie Borowski, Basel.
Subsequently in the collection of Denys Sutton (1917-1991), London, acquired from the above on 11 October 1963.
Thence by descent.
with Sotheby's, New York, 6 December 2012, lot 11.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no. 11827-207739.
See Reinach, S., Repertoire de la statuarie grecque et romaine, Paris, 1930, pp.39-40, for the Hephaistos iconography; Hensly, C., ‘Proceed to Olympus: the iconography of the Return of Hephaestus’ in Undergraduate Research Awards. 14, Hollins, 2013, fig.5.
FootnotesAccording to legend, Hephaistos was thrown into the ocean by his mother Hera and raised by the sea nymph Thetis. Upon his return to Olympus, he took his revenge by imprisoning his mother and obtaining the hand of the most beautiful of the goddesses, Aphrodite. He became the blacksmith of the gods. Sculptural depictions of the god, known as Vulcan to the Romans, are very rare. Hephaistos was the armourer of the heroes, and certainly his greatest artwork was making Achilles' armour.
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LOT 0060
Greek Bronze Hephaistos Statuette
Estimate £20,000 - 30,000€23,200 - 34,800 (for guidance only)$27,000 - 40,500 (for guidance only)
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8th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
The keeled bow with a large central boss, integral pin and rectangular footplate. 55.9 grams, 72 mm
From the family collection of a Surrey gentleman since before 1960.
The distinctive form of this fibula seems to be an Italic variant of characteristic Geometric period examples from Thessaly that have been discovered in large numbers, for example in the sanctuary of Zeus Thaulios near Pharos. It belongs to the category of Greek catch plate brooches, although the rectangular footplate is substantially reduced compared to the Greek prototypes. -
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Circa 6th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210
Bulbous-bodied with dished rim ad short strap handle, decorative painted trail to the lip, spots to the shoulder and incised cross-hatching to the lower body; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 104 grams, 63 mm (149 grams total, 82 mm high including stand)
Ex Swiss private collection, C.A., Geneva (1961-2000). Thence in a French collection. with Charles Ede Limited, catalogue 183, item number 31, 2011. Accompanied by a copy of French cultural passport number 116789, dated 15 April 2010. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00048851, dated 3 June 2011. -
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8th-7th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Keeled bow with central bulb, integral pin and large, square catch plate. 55 grams, 95 mm
From the family collection of a Surrey gentleman since before 1960.
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