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LOT 0120
Roman Lead Figure of Aphrodite Holding a Severed Swan's Head
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
7 5/8 in. (327 grams, 19.5 cm).
Modelled in the round nude and and raising her right arm, holding the neck of the swan (her animal attribute); left arm descending towards her pubis, legs in contrapposto stance; gusseted drum-shaped base.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
From the family collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection since the late 1990s.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12099-218223.
Cf. Boucher, S. & Tassinari, S., Musée de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine a Lyon: Bronzes Antiques I. Inscriptions, Statuaire, Vaisselle, Lyon, 1976, item 66, for type.
FootnotesAlthough the presence of the swan in this position is rather rare, iconographically, this image is part of the abundant series of statuettes of Aphrodite/Venus widely distributed during the Roman Imperial era.
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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LOT 0120
Roman Lead Figure of Aphrodite Holding a Severed Swan's Head
Estimate £1,200 - 1,700€1,390 - 1,970 (for guidance only)$1,620 - 2,300 (for guidance only)
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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. -
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