Greek Terracotta Female Protome Head

The nude hero depicted with a slender yet muscular body, the right arm angled and raised, the pierced hand probably once held a club, the left leg thrust forward energetically, lowering the hip line and emphasising the dynamic movement of the composition, the navel indicated by an engraved circular line, the knees marked by vertical incisions; the oval face characterised by eyes represented by triangular depressions, a narrow nose, a wide mouth whose slightly irregularly shaped lips separated by an incision, and a pointed chin; the short, cap-like hair detailed with fine incisions. 146 grams total, 12.6 cm high including stand



Ex Erika (1934-2025) and Jakob (1927-2025) Binkert, Binningen, Switzerland; inherited from Jakob's father, August Binkert-Textor (1896-1979), between 1940-1970, Basel. with Jean-David Cahn AG, Basel, Auction 2, 26 June 2000, no.239B; thence by descent.

Votive bronze from a Sabellian workshop in the typical local style. The Sabelli lived in the Samnium region (southern Apennines), where the cult of Heracles, as in Etruria, was widespread.

Composed of a round-section stem tapering to a point (chipped), the upper section with five figural panels separated by horizontal bands of granulation; each panel with figures executed in granulation including opposed pairs of rearing lions, perching bird, dancing humans, two-headed figure with fronds; below these panels, an applied gold wire loop with recurved end; above, a hollow-formed bulbous finial with a repoussé frieze in two registers: below - winged heroes grappling with gryphons and other beasts in a landscape with granulated detailing, with ropework bands to the equator; above - opposed gryphons flanking a facing master of beasts with head turned, and horsemen advancing towards an anguiped; disc finial to the apex with three repoussé swans in profile. 71.1 grams, 28 cm



Acquired at auction in Geneva or Basel circa 1989. From the private collection of a Swiss gentleman collector, thence by descent 2018. 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 no.13409- 259878.

Since Greek clothing was not sewn, straight pins and fibulae (safety pins) were used to fasten a garment at the shoulders, the sleeves, over the chest, and at other critical points. Pins were already in use in the Early Bronze Age, but highly decorated pins were in use from the 7th- 6th centuries B.C., when vertical incisions, grooves and mythical figures appeared on the spherical beads, pendants and heads of the pins. Gold pins with disc-shaped terminals and spherical heads have been recovered from the archaic tombs of Macedonia, where the decoration was developed on the surface of the spheres in filigree and repoussé techniques.

Comprising irregular mainly curved sidewall fragments and portions of lip and handle with reserved and applied mainly geometric ornament on a black field; each with old collector's label. 74 grams total, 29-70 mm



Iris Cornelia Love (1933-2020) collection, New York, formed primarily in the 1950s-1970s; on long-term loan to Dietrich von Bothmer, New York, late 1960s/early 1970s to late 1990s.