Romano-Egyptian Style Blackstone Intaglio Depicting a God with Crocodile

Modelled in the round on a rectangular base, seated female wearing a crested cap, peplos dress and palla holding a coin-purse to her midriff, collector's reference 'ABLT' to underside. 157 grams, 11.6 cm



Ex Louis-Gabriel Bellon (c.1819-1899), France. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.111342 dated 6 July 2009.

With blue champlevé enamel, depicting scenes of the life of Prophet Elijah: on the bottom right Elijah rolling up his mantle and dividing the waters of the Jordan, in front of his disciple Elisha; on the bottom left Elijah watched over by the Angel; on the top right Elijah ascending to heaven on a Chariot of Fire, assisted by the hand of God; on the left Elijah, covered by his mantle, fed by ravens; frame with blue enamel over gilded pseudo-vegetal decorations. 585 grams, 14.3 cm



Acquired from Chris Martin-Zakheim, Iconastas, 5 Piccadilly Arcade, London SW1. From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s.

The icon represents the Ascension of the prophet Elijah and other scenes from his life. Elijah is ascending to heaven in a fiery chariot drawn by horses, leaving his mantle to the disciple Elisha, symbolising the transmission of his prophetic mission. Among the great figures of the Bible, the prophet Elijah was one of the most venerated figures in history in Orthodoxy.

Depicting Cupid tenderly holding Psyche in his arms after a kiss, Psyche's arms reaching towards his head; Cupid in a dynamic pose with separately made wings, depicted nude except for a vine-leaf; Psyche resting on a rock with her lower body loosely wrapped in a folded garment; inscription on the lower edge 'P. Bazzanti Florence'; mounted on a marble pedestal. It is regarded as a masterpiece of Neoclassical sculpture, but shows the mythological lovers at a moment of great emotion, characteristic of the emerging movement of Romanticism. Or alabaster 122 kg total, 166 cm



Private collection, London. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13005-246436.

Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss is a sculpture by Italian artist Antonio Canova first commissioned in 1787 by Colonel John Campbell (later Lord Cawdor). It is one of Canova's most popular marbles which represents a well known passage from Apuleius' The Golden Ass, in which Psyche faints after having opened Proserpine's vase and is revived by Cupid's kiss. The original sculpture is today in the Musée du Louvre (M.R. 1777). In 1796 the Russian nobleman Prince Yusupov acquired a second version from Canova in Rome, and that example is today preserved in the Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg.