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LOT 0137
Roman Marble Head of Dionysus
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
19 in. (15.8 kg total, 48 cm high including stand).
From 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 no.12086-213624.
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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Roman Gold Ring with Garnet Cabochon
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,600
Comprising a keeled hoop forked at the shoulders to form two elegant scrolls supporting the raised bezel, decorative grooves framing the garnet cabochon. 8.16 grams, 23.85 mm overall, 19.37 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)
Acquired from London galleries during the 1990s. From the jewellery collection of a London, UK, gentleman. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12114-214295.
The type of ring seems to date (with the volutes on the shoulders) to the late 2nd-early 3rd century A.D., although the model is certainly derived from the Hellenistic world. The use of carnelian and garnet was abundant in Hellenistic and Roman rings, and the style of the rings continued without change in the Roman Hellenised east. -
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1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Cuboid with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4. 7.87 grams, 14 mm
Found Yorkshire, UK. Ex N. Du Quesne Bird collection. Acquired 8 July 1996. From the important private collection of dice and gaming pieces of Colin Narbeth, London, UK, collection no.50. Accompanied by a Colin Narbeth catalogue identification card. -
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Roman Bronze Horse Head Whorl Brooch
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Swastika-shaped fibula with horse-head decoration, each head with punched ring-and-dot eye, a similar motif to the centre. 16.7 grams, 45 mm
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK.
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