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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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Romano-British 'Thetford' Bronze Gaming Die
Circa 2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Cuboid with impressed spots disposed 1:4, 2:5, 3:6. 3.4 grams, 7.95 mm
Found on a Roman site at Thetford, Essex, UK, in 1997. From the important private collection of dice and gaming pieces of Colin Narbeth, London, UK, collection no.66. Accompanied by a Colin Narbeth catalogue identification card. -
Roman Marble Head of Dionysus
Circa 2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £23,400
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. 15.8 kg total, 48 cm high including stand
Ex 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.
The 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. -
Roman Animal Brooch Collection
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Comprising: bird plate brooch with hinged pin and catch to the reverse; running hare plate brooch with recessed body to accept enamel fill, pin and catch to the reverse. 18.8 grams, 46-58 mm
Ex UK art market. Property of a Scottish collector, acquired in 2013.
