Roman Bronze Bow Brooch

Dressed in voluminous robes with pleating to the undergarment, the figure depicted in contrapposto position with her weight on the left leg and right leg bent at the knee, a square pillar flanking the right leg; both arms raised with the open palms facing upwards; standing on a square pedestal; hollow form. 266 grams, 22 cm



Ex London gallery, UK, 1980s. Ex private UK collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The figure represents a woman caught in the act of offering; originally, she probably had a patera and a gift in the other hand. The statuette has a plain back as it probably was intended to be placed in a shrine inside a votive deposit. In the now empty space there could have been a name and a painted dedication.

The goddess of love rising from the sea, standing nude and bearing the weight on her right leg; her head turned to the right and looking down, finely worked facial detailing with marked eyelids and shallow pupils; the bountiful hair tied back in a low chignon with six long ringlets falling on her shoulders, wearing a diadem; a narrow sash wrapped around her back, holding one end pressed against her left breast and the coiled end held in her right hand; standing on a pedestal base. 281 grams total, 16.5 cm high including stand



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12747-236332. 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 goddess is depicted in the act of girding her chest with a fascia, similar to the one illustrated in the famous mosaics of Piazza Armerina, where the band is worn together with a subligaculum that covers her lower parts. It is modelled after a real two-piece bath costume of the ancient Romans.

With intaglio profile figure of Mercury standing holding the caduceus and marsupium. 0.46 grams, 11 mm



Ex Geneva, Switzerland, collection, 1980s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.