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LOT 1409
Neoclassical Gemstone Plaque
18TH-19TH CENTURY A.D.
1 3/4 in. (21.6 grams, 43 mm).
A banded agate intaglio engraved with an ancient Assyrian(?) style figural scene showing a man with sword in hand battling a sphinx-like mythical winged creature with the head of a woman and body of a lion, swollen teats lining the creature's belly; pair of drilled holes for suspension; chipped.
ProvenanceProperty of a North London gentleman.
FootnotesLikely an allusion to ancient tales of the monstrous and treacherous sphinx attacking the hero.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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:
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Bronze Copy of The Farnese Hermes
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
A bronze statue modelled on the famous Farnese Hermes (now in the British Museum); the god portrayed naturalistically in the round, youthful and nude, a chlamys draped around his shoulders, winged sandals on his feet; discoid base. 16.3 kg, 82 cm high
French collection, 1960s-early 2000s. From an important Paris gallery, France. with Marion Antique Auction, USA, 8 June 2019, lot 131. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11689-199352.
The statue copies a Roman copy of a famous type created in the school of the Greek sculptor Praxiteles in the 4th century B.C. Villa de Papiri. A similar copy exists in the collection of the British Museum, London, under accession no. 1864,1021.1. -
Ethiopian Icon with St George and Virgin
16th-17th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,235
A portable wooden diptych icon depicting Bet Giyorgis on horseback on the left, dressed in red mauve riding coat, green cloak and carrying a shaft with iron head; on the right the Nativity scene with Virgin and the Child escorted by the angels. 562 grams, 20 x 15.5 cm
Acquired on the London art market, 2006. UK private collection.
The presence of angels dressed in western garments, the uncovered head of the Virgin and the swords of the angels, could suggest that the diptych is strongly influenced by Italian Renaissance painters. However, the chopping tool used here is particularly Ethiopian, as is the depiction of the Virgin and Child, lacking the care visible in Ethiopian works copied from Italian paintings. Ethiopian paintings influenced by European art can be split into two groups according to Stanislaw Chojnacki: paintings that directly relate to an identified painting, and paintings which borrow themes and details from Western art. In both, however, the Western forms have been simplified to the Ethiopian mode of expression. The horse harness can suggest dating to 16th-17th century A.D. -
Diskobolos of Myron Statue
19th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
A copper-alloy copy of the original Greek bronze Diskobolos of Myron, portraying a youthful nude male athlete poised to spin to release his discus; naturalistically modelled; on a tiered octagonal stone display base. 27 kg, 65 cm high
French collection, 1960s-early 2000s. From an important Paris gallery, France. with Hampel Fine Art Auctions GmbH & Co KG, Munich, Germany, 12 December 2014, lot 1912.
The original Greek bronze (now lost) dated to circa 460–450 B.C., but the work is known through numerous Roman copies in marble.
