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LOT 0077
Greek Bronze Mirror with Eros and Aphrodite
LATE CLASSIC-EARLY HELLENISTIC PERIOD, MID-LATE 4TH CENTURY B.C.
6 in. (1.17 kg total, 15 cm).
A circular box mirror comprising: a lid featuring a hammered sheet repoussé appliqué of Eros and Aphrodite, god and goddess of love, standing on either side of a thymiaterion, or censer associated with religious worship and ritual; Eros with wings outstretched, left hand supporting the top tier of the censer, right hand lowered to his side holding a wreath(?); much delicate incised detailing to his wings indicating a feathered texture; Aphrodite standing to the right, wearing a floor-length woollen tunic or chiton, a pleated himation around her waist and draped over her left arm; right hand held above the top tier of the censer; the scene is framed within an incised circular roundel; the interior of the lid, and the base including its flange, featuring a series of lathe-turned concentric circular mouldings; both halves mounted on a cleverly designed custom-made stand, which reproduces the human act of lifting the lid off the mirror base; museum-quality.
ProvenancePrivate collection, London, 1975.
with Christie's, Rockefeller Plaza, New York, 9 June 2011, no.109.
Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages.
Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Kallos Gallery catalogue pages where the mirror is published.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12054-213612.
A Greek Bronze Mirror and Cover, Kallos Gallery Catalogue 4, London W1, UK, 2019, item no.13.
LiteratureSee Comstock, M. and Vermeule, C., Greek, Etruscan and Roman Bronzes in the Museum of Fine Art Boston, 1971, no.36; see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 07.259, for another example of a box mirror featuring Eros.
FootnotesHandleless mirrors were luxury items that began to be produced in the second half of the 5th century B.C. Themes surrounding Aphrodite were very popular at this time. During the 4th century B.C. Eros was commonly depicted as a slim youth approaching manhood rather than as a child, as he is shown here on our example. Eros and Aphrodite are the two Greek deities most famously believed to induce desire.
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
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LOT 0077
Greek Bronze Mirror with Eros and Aphrodite
Estimate £12,000 - 17,000€13,920 - 19,720 (for guidance only)$16,200 - 22,950 (for guidance only)
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Phoenician Limestone Standing Goddess Holding a Bird
Circa 6th-5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
D-shaped plaque, depicting a female wearing a floor-length gown, standing on a rectangular base; left arm bent to support a goose against the body. 1.39 kg, 34 cm
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. -
Cypriot Geometric Terracotta Jar
9th-8th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Globular in form with trumpet-shaped mouth, painted band to shoulder. 612 grams, 16.5 cm high
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Greek Marble Head of a Youth
Early 5th century B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,500
Carved in the round; semi-naturalistic anatomic and facial detailing, hair gathered loosely at the neck and tied with a taenia knotted at the nape of the neck; mounted on a custom-made display base. 879 grams total, 18 cm high including stand
Ex old European private property, by inheritance to the previous owner. Ex Schuler Auktionen, Zürich, 10 December 2020, no.1211. 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.11817-206512.
The small statuette to which the head belonged was probably that of a naked youth, the so-called kouros, typical of archaic Greek sculpture from the 7th century B.C. onwards.
