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LOT 0117
Roman Marble Head of Dionysus
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
19 in. (15.8 kg total, 48 cm high including stand).
A Roman copy of a Greek original, wearing a crown of leaves and corymbs, hair falling in straight lines underneath the diadem; full beard composed of four rows of thick tufts with drilled holes; slightly open mouth with a fleshy lower lip; low cheekbones and hollow cheeks; large almond-shaped eyes with lachrymal duct; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceEx private French collection, early 1960s.
Acquired by the current owner in 2011.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Marina Mattei and Dr Laura Maria Vigna.
Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.129940.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11791-206395
See McDowall K.A., The so-called 'sardanapalus, in Journal of Hellenic Studies, 1904; Gasparri C., in LIMC III, 1,1986, s.v.Dionysos, 414-421; La Rocca E. (ed.), Il sorriso di Dioniso, Roma 2010; La Rocca E., Hermes-Thoth e Dioniso redentore, Dall'Egitto dei Tolomei al tardo- antico. Studí sul mosaico della Casa di Aion a Neo Paphos, Bullettino della Commissione Archeologica Comunale di Roma, Supplementi, 28, 2021.
FootnotesThe head finds comparable parallels with a series of herms representing philosophers, lyricists and the god Hermes, deriving from Greek originals of the 5th century B.C. The reworking of these typologies in a cultured environment is due to the diffusion of sculptures linked to the idea of speculative otium and withdrawal into the bucolic world of which Dionysus was guardian and protector. The typology of the representation associates him with the concept of continuous rebirth and fertility of nature, typical of Dionysus Lenaeus.
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LOT 0117
Roman Marble Head of Dionysus
Estimate £30,000 - 40,000€34,800 - 46,400 (for guidance only)$40,500 - 54,000 (for guidance only)
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Roman Bronze Figure of Jupiter as Zeus Brontaios
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,680
Depicted nude in contrapposto pose, his weight on his right leg, the left leg flexed and advancing; the hair and beard formed as a dense mass of curls; a full beard complementing his luxuriant curls; slender, muscular body with defined anatomical details; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 384 grams total, 15.5 cm high including stand
with Münzen und Medaillen AG, Basel, 02.1976, lot 51. Acquired in Europe in 2017. Accompanied by copies of relevant pages of Münzen und Medaillen AG. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11792-206488.
The prototype of Zeus Brontaios, or Zeus the Thunderer, has been attributed to a Greek original by sculptor Leochares, c. 370-360 B.C. The statue was realised by Leochares to celebrate the founding of Megalopolis, in 371 B.C. The god would have held a sceptre in his left hand and cradled his thunderbolt in his right. -
Roman Silver Cockerel Statuette
1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £70 - 90 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £39
Modelled in the round with naturalistic detailing, head turned to the left, standing on an irregular base. 2.15 grams, 14 mm high
‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection. -
Roman Bronze Seated Wolf Statuette
1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £111
Modelled in the round with naturalistic detailing, seated with right paw extended. 33.4 grams, 40 mm high
‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.