Loading, please wait...

Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis
Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge
Details

LOT 0111

Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis

CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.

11 5/8 in. (1.4 kg, 29.5 cm high).

With luxuriant long wavy hair and characteristic vertical locks at the forehead, full beard with two large ringlets below the chin, wearing a chiton and a himation draped over the left shoulder, the head surmounted by a corn modius decorated with olive branch in relief, the bust supported on the back of an eagle standing atop an orb with spread wings, the eagle with its head slightly turned to the left, the feathers finely detailed; a finial from a staff or a ceremonial standard; repaired.

Provenance

Ex private collection, South Germany, 1980.
with Gorny and Mosch, Munich, 13 December 2003, no.74.
with Christie's, New York, 8 June 2012, no.239 (US $120,000-180,000).

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 number no.11789-206489.

Literature

Cf. a similar bust in the Virginia Museum of fine Arts, inventory no.98.23; another similar piece, but with the eagle upon the polos, in Mitten, D.G., Doeringer, S.F., Master Bronzes from the Classical World, Exhibition, Fogg Art Museum/City Museum of Saint Louis/Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1967-1968, no.217; for a bronze bust without eagle see the bust of Zeus Serapis in the Saint Louis Art Museum, inv. no. 69:1923.

Footnotes

The Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.) modelled many of his portraits based on Serapis. But it was under Hadrian that the refurbishment of the statue in the Serapeum increased the demand for small-scale images, like this one, probably made during his reign and used atop of a processional sceptre or standard for the cult of the god.

CONDITION
VETTING:

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.

Live Bidding

LOT 0111

Large Roman Bronze Staff Finial with Bust of Serapis

Estimate £50,000 - 70,000€58,000 - 81,200 (for guidance only)$67,500 - 94,500 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS
  • Roman Limestone Gaming Counter Group
    Roman Limestone Gaming Counter Group
    1st-4th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £59

    Twenty discoid limestone counters each with an incuse cinquefoil to both faces. 36 grams total, 13-19 mm



    Private collection formed in the 1990s. Acquired from a central London gallery. Property of an Essex gentleman.

    Lot Details

  • Roman Gold Luna Pendant
    Roman Gold Luna Pendant
    1st-4th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £572

    Crescentic gold wire shank with beaded wire to the inner face of the arc applied granules, ribbed suspension loop. 3.53 grams, 21 mm



    Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman.

    Such lunar pendants were worn by girls in ancient Rome as amulets to protect them against evil forces. The equivalent pendant for boys was the bulla.

    Lot Details

  • Roman Marble Head of a Young Man
    Roman Marble Head of a Young Man
    2nd-3rd century A.D.

    Estimate: £3,500 - 4,500 (‡+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £1,250

    Worked in high-relief with hairstyle typical of the transitional period from the Consulate to the Empire; oval face with a prominent forehead, oval eyelids and clearly defined lines around the eyes; hair arranged in vertical lines combed back from the forehead; pronounced lips, typical rendering of the wide auricles; the lower part of the tunic visible with a well defined round edge around the neck; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 5.94 kg total, 22.5 cm high including stand



    Acquired from Gallery Gryphos, Munich, 1992. European private collection. 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 number no.11996-211878.

    The head was probably pertinent to a series of funerary family portraits. It has realistic modelling of male features, which speaks of a portrait in reduced dimensions or a reference to a well-known person in the environment where it was exhibited. The portrait is worked only on the front, leaving the back, as well as the lower part of the sculpture, roughly treated.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list