Roman Bronze Statuette of the Three-Headed Guardian Dog Cerberus

2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.

2 1/2 in. (77 grams total, 63 mm including stand).

Modelled in the round with three heads facing in different directions, and with a pair of snakes wound round the body as a harness; mounted on a custom-made stand. [No Reserve]

Provenance

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.

Literature

Cf. similar item in the British Museum under accession no.1919,0620.8.

Footnotes

In Greek mythology, Cerberus, often referred to as the hound of Hades, was a multi-headed dog that guarded the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. His figure is linked to the myth of Orpheus, the only one who managed to tame him with his songs, and to the myth of Hercules, the only one who managed to capture him.

CONDITION

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LOT 0834