Loading, please wait...
LOT 0116
Roman Marble Portrait Bust of an Aristocratic Woman
JULIO-CLAUDIAN PERIOD, CIRCA 50-60 A.D.
17 1/8 in. (37.35 kg total, 43.5 cm including stand).
A life-size bust showing the head turned slightly to the left, an expression of dignity on her face with broad cheeks and pronounced cheekbones, heavy eyelids with narrow eyes, gentle depressions around the full lips; hair arranged in tight curls leaving the ears exposed, small braids gathered and tied at the back with a double thong with two corkscrew curls falling on each side of the neck; the lower part of the neck framed by delicate folds of a tunic, palla covering her left shoulder; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceProfessor Elia Volpi (1858-1938) collection, Florence, prior to 1910.
Vente de la Collection Elie Volpi; Hotel de Ventes Jandolo & Tavazzi, Florence, 25 April-3 May 1910, no.53, pl. XCII (illustrated).
Private collection, France, likely Château de Beaumesnil, near Rouen.
Provenant du Château de Beaumesnil et du Château de T...Objets d'Art et de Bel Ameublement Principalement du XVIIIe, Palais des Congres, Rouen, 20 February 1983.
Anonymous sale; Hindman, Chicago, 25 May 2023, no,194.
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale.
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.12768-237645.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Various, Illustrations du Catalogue des Précieuses Collections d'Objets d'Art Appartenant au Prof. Elie Volpi (Exhibition Catalogue), Florence, 1910, no.53; Various, La Gazette de L'Hôtel Drouot, edition 5 (Gazette), Paris, 4 February 1983, p.36; Freyer-Schauenburg, B., ‘Porträtbüste einer Dame in Schweizer Privatbesitz’ in Varkıvanç, B. (ed), Baki Öğün'e Armağan - Melanges offerts a Baki Öğün - CALBIS, Ankara, 2007, pp.97-108.
LiteratureSee similarity with portraits of Agrippina the Younger, in Uffizi (Firenze) in modern bust, inventory 1914 n.115; NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, inv. no.753 in Johansen, F., Catalog of Roman Portraits I, Copenhagen, 1994; see also the portraits of Agrippina in MANN (Napoli) inv.5609 and 5612, from Herculaneum; other similar portraits in Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) museum, inv.56.097; Palatine Hill (Antiquarium of Palatine Hill), Rome, inv. no.12447; compare the hairstyle and the profile with the British Museum sardonyx cameos (GB 1872.6-4.1992, gem 3951) representing the same empress.
FootnotesThis portrait is striking due to the delicate yet exotic features of the subject and her elaborate coiffure. The sculpture was produced during a formative and highly sophisticated phase of Roman art, and during a time when portraits of women are much less common than those from later Imperial times. The preparation for a patch at the back of the head is seemingly ancient. Although she remains anonymous, given the sculpture's scale and scope, one can assume it portrays a person of note, who wished to be represented with the ideal and distinctive features of a Roman aristocrat. For a comparable portrait bust, see Agrippina Minor at the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (Acc. no.755).
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Roman Bronze Mercury Mount
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Bust of Mercury on stud with beaded band to the throat, winged diadem. 10.5 grams, 34 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Glass Jug with Trails
4th-5th century A.D.Estimate: £700 - 900 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
A small pale yellow collared globular jug with short neck, angular ribbon handle with two narrow prominent ribs, folded upper attachment to the cylindrical neck, several horizontal lines on the globular body, trefoil mouth. 32 grams, 74 mm
with H.A.C., Basel, prior 1999. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
These globular jugs were typical of the Eastern Mediterranean in the late Roman period. Ornamental threads were decorating the body, and the employment of these jugs was often similar to those of pilgrim flasks, destined to collect oil and water from early Christian sanctuaries. -
Roman Highly Iridescent Glass Bracelet
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Round-section bangle with much of the original surface. 8.89 grams, 47 mm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
