Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0050
Greek Zoomorphic Bronze Hydria Handle Attachment
CIRCA 5TH-4TH CENTURY B.C.
2 in. (98 grams, 51 mm high).
Modelled as a skinned lion's head with fierce facial detailing; made for soldering to an articulated round handle.
Provenance
Private collection, Germany, 1980s.
Acquired on the UK art market 2010.
Literature
Cf. Furtwängler, A., Olympia. Die Ergebnisse der von dem Deutschen Reich veranstalteten Ausgrabung Band 4. 2 Bände (Textband, Tafelband), Asher, Berlin, 1890, pl.TL, no.839.
Footnotes
The handles were usually shaped as divinities or animals linked with gods (ie. lions for Herakles). A similar specimen can be seen in the Berlin Museum (inv.7491), from Athens.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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 0050
Greek Zoomorphic Bronze Hydria Handle Attachment
Estimate £500 - 700€580 - 810 (for guidance only)$680 - 950 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Graeco-Roman Megarian Terracotta Cup with Nymphs
2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Hemispherical in form with decoration in relief featuring fluting alternating with nymphs and symbols beneath an architectural border, cracked and chipped. 257 grams, 11.9 cm wide
Private Dutch collection, 1970-2010. Ex private Dutch collection, 2010-2018.
The term ‘Megarian’ bowl applied to this type of pottery is a modern convention for academic purposes. The name ‘Megarian’ was first given to this type of mould-made relief bowl in the late 19th century, because some of the first known examples were said to have come from the city of Megara. In reality, such terracotta items originated in Athens in the 3rd quarter of the 3rd century BC, and from that point were made in all major Greek cities for the duration of the Hellenistic period and into the Roman, especially in Alexandria. This relief-decorated pottery became more popular than painted pottery during the Hellenistic period. This class of hemispherical bowl was made in moulds and was characterised by decoration imitating metallic beakers. When the finished bowl was taken from the mould, it was probably dipped in varnish or dull paint and fired. According to Prof. P.V.C. Baur, the stamps used for making moulds were not produced in every manufacturing centre of ‘Megarian’ bowls, but were made only in important centres such as Athens, Pergamon, Antioch and Alexandria, and sold to potters throughout the Hellenistic world. The fact that the edge of the bowl is turned outwards suggests Athenian production, and a comparison with the decorative petals on the Delian Cup (no.1913.199 of the Rebecca Darlington collection) is also plausible. -
Hellenistic Gold Amphora-Shaped Pendant
2nd-1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Displaying decorative fluting; gusseted suspension loop and handles. 4.49 grams, 23 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s. -
Eastern Greek Gold Turretted Brooch
5th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
Adorned with repoussé detailing and filigree borders and petals, domed centre with granules and applied scrolls, central corrugated claw set with glass(?); pin lug and catchplate to reverse. 8.74 grams, 40 mm
From the collection of a North American gentleman, formed in the 1990s.
