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LOT 0124
Roman Bronze Statuette of the Goddess Eos
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
4 3/8 in. (150 grams total, 11.2 cm including stand).
Modelled in the round, Eos (The Dawn) standing nude with left leg slightly flexed; the head with finely detailed face and hair dressed in a chignon; spread wings to the rear with feather detailing; left arm bent and hand resting on the hip with mantle wound about the shoulder and wrist; right arm extended and hand modelled open to accept an attribute; mounted on a custom-made display stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
See Reinach, S., Répertoire de la statuaire Grecque et Romaine, Paris, 1897, p.396, for similar iconography of the goddess.
FootnotesEos, the ancient Greek goddess of the dawn, was perhaps the most resplendent of all the beings in the Greek pantheon. With the brilliant dye of saffron as her colour, she was also associated with roses, which also embody the glowing hues of the dawn.
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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Roman Lead Coffin Panel with Sphinx, Medusa and Dolphins
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Decorated with stamped patterns including dolphins, gorgoneion, sphinx, floral patterns, motifs with ivy leaves and vertical columns dividing the field into panels. 33.2 kg, 1.72 m
Acquired 1970s-early 1990s. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
There were many ways of burying bodies during the Roman Empire. Although the majority were buried without coffins, there is evidence for wooden coffins, lead-framed wooden coffins, tile burials and lead and stone coffins. This item belongs to types widespread in the Eastern Mediterranean. The panel is decorated with a columned structure, and within each section are symbols of the outer-world, including gorgons, sphinx and dolphins. The sphinx, having a human head and breasts, legs and paws of a lion, and wings of a bird, was generally associated with protecting imperial tombs and temples. The roundels featuring the head of Medusa, known for her potent gazes that could turn one to stone, was favoured on sarcophagi and architectural ornaments because it was believed that her image would protect those within. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Very often these sarcophagi were connected by a pipe to the ground above so that mourners could pour offerings into the grave. -
Roman and Other Bronze Brooch Group
2nd century B.C.-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Including two openwork La Tène style plate brooches; Colchester type bow brooch; and other items. 69 grams total, 20-77 mm
Property of the vendor's grandfather, thence by family descent, circa 1985. From the private collection of a New York, USA gentleman. -
Roman Bronze Statuette of a Servant with Offering
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Standing nude with both arms supporting a scallop shell, the hair dressed in the manner of a putto; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 38 grams total, 67 mm including stand
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Although inspired by statuettes of Eros, the representation is that of a body with a musculature of a mature man, with a well-shaped torso and strong pectorals. Probably of Gallo-Roman workmanship.
