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LOT 2018
Romano-Egyptian Style Fayum Portrait of a Woman
20TH CENTURY A.D.
18 1/2 x 13 1/4 in. (1.73 kg total, 47 x 33.8 cm including frame).
Portrait of a young woman, her head turned slightly to the right, with an oval face, thin almond-shaped eyes, and a large mouth with full lips; her curly hair arranged above her forehead in a series of rich curls; her clothing consisting of a pink tunic visible at the neck and shoulders; encaustic on wood. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection of Dr Fred Olsen (1891-1986) and Mrs Florence Ellen Olsen (née Quittenton, d.1996), Guilford, Connecticut, by at least 1961.
Exhibited at 'Coptic Art', The Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 5 December 1961-7 January 1962, no.L-380-2, loan number L61.711.
Coptic Art, Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, Iowa, 16 February-1 April 1962, no.L-380-2.
LiteratureCf. Parlasca, K., Frenz, H.G., Ritratti di Mummie, Repertorio d’arte dell’Egitto Greco-Romano, Roma, 2003, no.698, for similar.
FootnotesFayum portraits, painted on wood or linen, applied to the mummies of the Graeco-Roman period, are one of the most wonderful legacies that the koiné of the Graeco-Roman world has left us. Due to the favourable climate enhancing the state of preservation, these encaustic paintings have left us an almost photographic testimony of the faces of the inhabitants of Roman Egypt.
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:
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Stuart Period Bronze Hands Holding Heart Ring
17th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Claddagh ring with a tapering hoop, the bezel with two hands holding a raised heart. 3.71 grams, 21.00 mm overall, 16.15 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)
From the private collection of Graham Slater (1927-2024), Cambridge, UK; formed 1980s-1990s. -
Baroque Period Marble Frieze Depicting a River God
17th-18th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Depicted lying on a riverbed, leaning on his right side, his aged face framed by a rich, flowing beard, his wavy hair held back by a taenia; his body, naked and corpulent, is covered only by a light cloak wrapping his legs; his left hand is stretched forward, his right hand resting on a vase pouring water from the river; the figure stands out against a smooth, semicircular cut wall; mounted on an old collection marble base. 13 kg, 44.5 cm wide
With evidence of break along outer edges suggesting the fragment was once part of a larger composition or fountain. Areas of old glue remnants to the broken edge. The marble is stable, with age staining to the entire surface; minor chips throughout but generally in very good condition.
Previously in an old European collection, probably from the 18th/19th century, based on the old collection marble base and mounting technique. Private collection, France. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no. 13239-251810.
The representations of river or sea divinities usually depicted them in the same position, with naked torso wrapped only in a wide cloak, and usually bearded. The sculpture bears similarities with the sculpture of a river divinity, in the Archaeological Museum of Napoli (inv. 5977), from Rome and belonging to the Farnese Collection, from the second half of the 2nd century A.D. -
Gas / Petrol Station Original Poster Sign
1920-1940 A.D.Estimate: £80 - 100 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40
White coarse paper poster with red printed warning notice for a petrol station; to foot 'copies from Simpsons the Printers, Friar Gate, Derby'. 22 grams, 76.2 x 50.6 cm
Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a Harwich, UK, collector.
'Simpsons the Printers' was a local printing company specialising in postcards and photographic materials, active until the early 1960s.
