Scythian Gold-Clad Ribbed Torc with Decorated Terminals

An expressive polychrome vase formed as the head of an actor wearing rosette earrings, open mouth and applied pupils, short neck with everted rim above and a small strap handle to the rear. 69.3 grams, 75 mm



Ex Louis-Gabriel Bellon, France, (1819-1899). with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12667-236389.

In Greek theatre, actors wore masks made from materials like linen and leather, which amplified expressions and helped actors take on multiple roles within a single play. Aristotle, in his Poetics, highlighted the importance of masks in conveying emotion and character, especially in large outdoor theatres. This terracotta, representing the satirical mask of a woman, with its lively and expressive features, would have brought both humour and recognisable character traits to the stage, engaging audiences with the playful spirit of Greek comedy.

With flared foot, ovoid body, tapering neck and scooped trefoil mouth; tall gusseted strap handle to the rear; painted frieze of a phalanx of hoplites wearing crested helmets and bell-shaped armour with round aspis and eight-shaped (Boeotian) shields, knemidai greaves, long spears and scabbarded swords. 487 grams, 23.2 cm



Private Swiss collection, 1980s. Acquired on the European art market, 1992; thence by descent. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Jacques Chamay. 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.13220-249241.

The scene depicts a succession of warriors, marching to the left at a rapid pace. Closely packed, one behind the other, they are confined within the figurative field and extend well beyond the upper and lower edges. It is a scene taken from the Homeric poems. The style of the oinochoe is characterised by the abundant use of thick white and burgundy highlights, resulting in a striking polychrome effect. There is a tendency to extend the figures beyond the frame, due to the subject being too ambitious for the available surface. The chequerboard motif on the neck is a very rare decorative motif. The vase's importance is reinforced by its exceptional state of preservation.

Comprising a slender hoop and an oval bezel with a stylised nude goddess, possibly Venus. 1.55 grams, 20.58 mm overall, 14.22x17.30 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)



From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.