Greek Terracotta Head Group

Comprising the upper two thirds of the vessel; on the shoulder a facing woman's head with diadem and half-veiled face; rosettes to left and right, with suspended ribbons and dots; vine motif around the body with floral ornaments; to the reverse, palmettes and vines; band of laurel with rosettes around the neck and wavy band at the mouth; reassembled from various fragments with three large areas of restoration, only the beginnings of the handles preserved; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.95 kg, 31 cm (2.6 kg total, 47.5 cm high including stand)



Ex Herbert A. Cahn, Basel, 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12475-228738. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The face-veiling gesture is a known marriage rite; the diadem may suggest that she is intended to represent Persephone. Alternatively, the veiled woman might be a dancer as many terracotta figurines of dancing women are shown with face-coverings. However, the floral ornaments could indicate a funeral or sepulchral context.

Female with hair drawn up in a chignon, palla wrapped tightly around the upper body hiding the right arm bent with the hand at the shoulder, lower hem of robe flared; fixing lug to underside. 86 grams, 71 mm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

This is a figurine of a deity of difficult interpretation representing an ex-voto. This typology is widespread in the votive offerings of Etrusco-Roman sanctuaries, and by analogy with various statuettes could represent Ceres.

Each showing various decorative motifs including one with the winged figure of Eos, and other images of torsos of men and women. 53 grams total, 26-76 mm



From a deceased estate, UK. Acquired on the UK art market. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

These fragments show the indebtedness or South Italian vase-makers to their colleagues in mainland Greece, which later developed into one of the most dominant shapes in Apulian red-figure while, at the same time, in Athens, these subjects became less popular by 380 B.C.