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LOT 0667
Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Figure of a Slave with Fruit Basket
1ST CENTURY A.D.
6 7/8 in. (286 grams, 17.5 cm).
Hollow-formed figure of a servant with grotesque facial features, pointed cap and a short tunic, carrying a pouch in the right hand and shoulders an overflowing fruit basket on the left; a large recess between his legs may be for the insertion of an oversized model phallus; pierced lug to rear of neck for suspension.
ProvenanceAcquired from Galerie Puhze, Freiburg, between 2002 and 2010.
From the collection of R. L., Lower Saxony.
Ex Gorny & Mosch, auction 300, Munich, no.75.
Accompanied by a certificate from Galerie Günter Puhze and a German export licence.
Cf. Gods, Tombs & Grotesques - Clay Figures from Everyday Life in Roman Egypt, Exhibition Hamburg, 1991, no.104; Loeben C.E. - Wiese, A. B. Köstlichkeiten aus Kairo! Die ägyptische Sammlung des Konditorei- und Kaffeehaus-Besitzers Achille Groppi (1890-1949), Basel, Antikenmuseum und Sammlung Ludwig; Hannover, Museum August Kestner, 2008, p. 50, fig. 45, for similar.
FootnotesGrotesque and exaggerated figurines were produced in late Hellenistic times, especially in Alexandria. The artisans, fascinated with realism, started to reproduce scenes and figures from daily life, and seemed to have a preference for emphasis on ill and deformed persons. The characters with caricature features are usually referred to as grotesques.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0667
Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Figure of a Slave with Fruit Basket
Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
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Roman Bronze Zebu Statuette
3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £444
Hollow-formed in reclining pose with the legs folded beneath the body, tail curled over the rump, hump to rear of neck. 61 grams, 47 mm
Acquired in 1992. Private collection, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. -
Roman Bronze Bird Finial
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £65
Modelled in the round with an erect head turned to the left; mounted on a display stand. 27.3 grams total, 42 mm high including stand
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Gold Ring with Garnet Cabochon
3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £700 - 900 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £350
Comprising an openwork rosette bezel with interstitial pellets between the petals, central cell with inset garnet cabochon. 2.55 grams, 22.48 mm overall, 17.72 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M 1/2, USA 6 1/4, Europe 13.09, Japan 12)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
