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LOT 0062
Hellenistic Bronze Protome of a Maenad
3RD-2ND CENTURY B.C.
5 1/2 in. (541 grams, 14 cm).
Modelled in the half-round as a maenad or Artemis, hollow to the reverse with diadem of ivy leaves with clusters of berries at the centre, exaggerated lentoid eyes, peplos dress secured at her left shoulder by a disc brooch and at her right with a cloven hoof.
ProvenanceAcquired before 1983.
Ex London gallery, 1990s.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12519-231946.
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 Greek deity Artemis was the goddess of hunting, associated with wild animals and woodland as well as childbirth. She was often linked with folk magic and witchcraft due to her role as goddess of the moon. She was identified by the Romans with the goddess Diana. Artemis was born, with her twin brother Apollo, on the island of Delos, daughter of Zeus and Leto. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals". Her best-known cult sites were on the island of Delos, in Attica at Brauron and Mounikhia, and in Sparta. She was often depicted in paintings and statues in a forest setting, carrying a bow and arrows, and accompanied by a deer. In Greek classical art, she is usually portrayed as a maiden huntress: young, tall and slim, clothed in a girl's short skirt, with hunting boots, a quiver, a bow and arrows. When portrayed as a moon goddess, Artemis wore a long robe and sometimes a veil covering her head. Her darker side is revealed in some vase paintings, where she is shown as the death-bringing goddess whose arrows fell young maidens and women, such as the daughters of Niobe. Artemis was also identified with the ancient mother goddess at Ephesus in modern-day Turkey and it was there that a huge temple was built in her honour, long recognised as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
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AUCTIONS:
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Greek Archaic Bronze Phiale with Handles
7th-6th century B.C.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Broad and squat in profile with thickened rim, two lateral omega-shaped drop handles each mounted below the rim on a crescentic bar surmounted by a model bird facing inwards; base fragmentary. 915 grams, 44 cm wide
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12210-222327. 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. -
Hellenistic Painted Terracotta Figure of Aphrodite
Mid 4th-mid 3rd century B.C.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Bearing the weight of her body on her left leg, wearing a himation draped over her arms, the right arm bent to grasp a part of the himation that falls behind her, leaving her shoulders uncovered and revealing her naked body; the head turned slightly to the left; the hair arranged in the typical flattering melon coiffure, parted into six large sections and gathered into a low bun; oval face with a small, fleshy mouth and a fine nose; wearing large circular earrings; her right hand resting on top of a small pillar, covered by the cloak; the lower part of the himation embroidered with volutes; the back flat with a square hole for attachment; red-brown pigment on the hair, white coating, traces of pink on the himation and red on the edges of the feet. 493 grams, 22.5 cm high
Collected in the 1950s-1990s. Ex R. Liechti collection (1934-2010), acquired in Geneva. Accompanied by an academic report by Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11999-211931. 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.
In particular in South Italy, two types of female statuettes leaning on small pillars were widespread, derived from Tanagra prototypes: the first type dressed in a high-belted chiton with crowned head, the second consisting of partially draped or nude female figures identified as Aphrodite, like our specimen. The Tanagra production ended in about 200 B.C., but the models created by the Boeotian workshops would continue to be produced until the end of the 1st century B.C. The statuette shows extensive traces of the original polychromy, characterised by strongly contrasting hues in keeping with the local style. The Tanagrine elements are mainly identifiable in the ‘melon coiffure’, the intense red colour of the hair and the pose characterised by the turned hip. -
Greek Period Bronze Arrowhead Collection
5th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
High-quality, triangular in section, with flanges and socket. 19.3 grams total, 24-36 mm
From an English collection formed before 2000. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
