Loading, please wait...
LOT 0086
Greek Chalcidian Black-Figure Amphora with Heracles and Nemean Lion
CIRCA 650-575 B.C.
17 1/8 in. (3.1 kg, 43.5 cm).
With two figural scenes: Side A: the first of the canonical labours of Heracles, the fight against the Nemean lion - in the centre the hero standing over the lion, strangling it with his left arm while thrusting his sword into its neck; two other standing figures witness the fight - on the right Athena, fully armed and ready to defend Heracles with her lance, and to the left Hermes, recognisable by his hat (petasos), winged boots and the caduceus; Side B: a nude horseman, holding his lance and accompanied by his dog, walking towards a king seated on his throne, holding a sceptre in his left hand; on the far right, a standing woman, probably the king's wife; a sphinx under the throne and two flying birds; some restoration.
ProvenanceEx German private collection.
with Hampel Kunst Auction, Munich, 2012, no.867.
Private European collection, thence by family descent.
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 a search certificate number no.12069-218134.
Cf. Boardman, J., Early Greek Vase Painting, London, 1998, p.219ff., ill.483-484, p.245 for a comparison; see neck amphora with Heracles killing the Nemean Lion, in the Harvard University, inventory no.1960.312, in Robinson, D. M., ‘Unpublished Greek Vases in the Robinson Collection,’ in American Journal of Archaeology (1956), 60.1, 1-25, p.7-9, no. 8, pl.5; cf. a similar terracotta neck-amphora (jar) attributed to the Polyphemos Group in the Metropolitan Museum, accession no.46.11.5.
FootnotesThe shape is typical of the period, and is decorated with black-figured technique, in which the figures were silhouetted in black slip on a reddish clay ground, and linear elements were incised with a needle, with additional details painted with white and cherry red-slip. The amphora seems to belong to one of the sub-types of the ‘Pseudo-Chalcidian’ group (the Poliphemus group), derived from the main Chalcidian series
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0086
Greek Chalcidian Black-Figure Amphora with Heracles and Nemean Lion
Sold for (Inc. bp): £45,500
-
Minoan Black Stone Vessel
AM II-MHIB/IIA, circa 30th-19th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Substantial carved mortar with narrow base and biconvex body; heavily chipped. 2.1 kg, 13 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.
The vessel corresponds to the Warren type 28, with similar Egyptian parallels and correspondent typologies, with small differences on the edges (see Karetsou et al., 2000, nos.15a and 19a). -
Greek Stone Head of a Caryatid
4th-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Modelled in the half-round with D-shaped face and short neck, transverse band of hair above the brow and ribbed panel above, flat-topped; slot to lower rear for attachment; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 426 grams total, 14.2 cm including stand
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. -
Very Large Cypriot Bichrome Ware Pottery Amphora
Iron Age, Cypro-Geometric, 950-850 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,240
With narrow base, oblate profile, two lateral loop handles to the shoulder, broad neck and flared rim to the mouth; painted bands of circumferential geometric ornament, linear with lentoid motifs, radiating bars to the mouth. 8.5 kg, 53.5 cm
with Christie's, South Kensington, 4 November 1992, no.33. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12088-214715.
