Scythian Gold Appliqué

Comprising a tall, plain body with two rosettes; crowned by an elaborate palmette and volute design with shallow acanthus stalks and small rosettes; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 55.6 kg total, 105.5 cm high including stand (95.2 cm without stand)



Private Swiss collection, acquired in the 1980s. with Ward & Co., New York, 2014. Private American collection, K.M., circa 2015-present. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate number S00114167, dated 2 June 2016. 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 a search certificate number no.11776-204598.

These memorials, originally painted (see gravestone from Paramythion, cf. Brinkmann-Wünsche, 2004, pp.148ff.), were venerated by families, anointed with oil, decorated with ribbons, and graced with offerings of food. They rivalled each other in the increasingly ostentatious display of family status and wealth, so much so that by the end of the 4th century B.C., a sumptuary law was passed, abruptly ceasing their production. In their heyday, these stelae provided sculptors an opportunity to demonstrate their technical virtuosity with both ornamental and figural subjects. It was not unusual for the anthemion to be of higher quality than the figures sculpted and painted below it.

In an active pose with both legs bent and left arm raised dramatically, head tilted to the left; exaggerated facial features, short trimmed hair, slim body with developed pectoral muscles and pronounced kyphosis; mounted on a columnar stand. 299 grams,14.5 cm including stand



Belgian private art collection of M.A., Brussels, Belgium, 1995. with Gorny and Mosch, 14 December 2011, lot 82. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11886-206399.

Each modelled in the round and and derived from a larger female figure, some wearing diadems and some with draped heads; each mounted on a custom-made display base. 491 grams total, 9.5-13.5 cm high including stand



Acquired in the 1970s. Ex European private collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11795-206534.

These figurines reflect sculptural prototypes. Interestingly the head of one of the women is draped in a himation, and the head is turned slightly to the right like the terracotta of Amisos which represents a dancer. These figurines were most probably manufactured in Hellenistic cities by craftsmen who used either light yellow or dark brown clay. After the firing, the surface of the clay became reddish, while the core became grey-brown. The majority of the figurines were made from untreated clay with many impurities, such as coarse grain. Due to the quality of the clay the surface of the figurines was often rugged, despite the retouch, but were painted with vivid colours, as is still visible on the pink polos on one of the heads.