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ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBJECT - GREEK - Hellenistic Tanagra figure, 4th/ 3rd century BC
Height circa 15cm. ; weight circa 132 gram
Standing woman with full length skirt.
The Tanagra figurines were a mold-cast type of Greek terracotta figurines produced from the later fourth century BC, primarily in the Boeotian town of Tanagra. They were coated with a liquid white slip before firing and were sometimes painted afterwards in naturalistic tints with watercolors, such as the famous ″Dame en Bleu″ (″Lady in Blue″) at the Louvre. Scholars have wondered why a rural place like Tanagra produced such fine and rather ″urban″ style terracotta figures. Tanagra figures depict real women — and some men and boys — in everyday costume, with familiar accessories like hats, wreaths or fans. Typically they are about 10 to 20 centimeters high. The terracotta figurines were placed in temples as offerings to the gods, or in tombs.
This statuette represents a typical ″Tanagran″ subject – the draped figure of a woman. The statuette′s elegant, sculptural form despite her small size, and the beauty of the drapery make this a highly successful representation of the human figure, reflecting two central themes in ancient Greek statuary – the female body, and feminine garments. The influence of the Greek sculptor Praxiteles, who was active in the 4th century BC and is credited with the introduction of several female figure types, is clearly apparent in the handling of the drapery, and the pose.
provenance: from a Dutch private collection
Not totally intact. Some little damage and repairs; at the left and back side of her head and at the backside of the base.
Rare and interesting object. |
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ARCHEOLOGICAL OBJECT - ROMAN - Bronze bust of Serapis, 2nd century AD
height 49mm. ; weight 43,52gr.
The god, with Greek and Egyptian features, wearing a chiton and himation over left shoulder, surmounted by the modius headdress. The modius is decorated in front and sides with floral motives. Serapis has a luxuriant full beard and thick long wavy hair falling in curls at his back.
Perhaps more than any other deity, Serapis embodies the multicultural nature of the ancient Mediterranean world. He was essentially a creation of the Greek rulers of Egypt, a conflation of the local gods Osiris and Apis, though depicted as Greek in appearance. He wears the modius (grain basket) on top of his head, signifying his role as the god of plenty.
This head might have been placed as a dedication in a Serapeum.
Bibliography: H. Hoffmann, Ten Centuries that shaped the West,
Texas, 1971, p. 72, no. 22; also M. Bieber, The Sculpture of the
Hellenistic Age, New York, 1961, figs. 296-7, for parallels.
Provenance: French private collection.
Wonderful piece or art with excellent details.
Intact |
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBJECT - ROMAN - Bronze figure of and eagle, 1st / 3rd century AD
height 55mm. ; width 50mm. ; weight 78,05gr.
Eagle standing facing with spread wings. A wonderful and fierce cast-bronze figurine of a standing eagle with a raised head turned to its left. Fine feather detailing on the chest and wings.
The eagle was a highly-symbolic animal among the Roman military and was a great symbol of pride and victory in the eyes of the legions. Known as ″aquila″ in Latin, the eagle was a representation of honor, victory, and cohesiveness within a legion. One member of each legion was referred to as an aquilifer, or ″eagle-bearer,″ as it was their primary duty to carry and protect that legion′s designated eagle standard. If ever an aquila was lost or stolen, it was the primary obligation of the aquilifer to go to any lengths to recover the standard and see to its safe return. Losing an eagle standard was considered a grave omen for its respective legion and would typically lead to distrust and paranoia among the legionaries. To quote a piece of historical fiction set in Roman Britain entitled The Eagle of the Ninth (Rosemary Sutcliff, 1954), ″Eagle lost, honor lost; honor lost, all lost.″
Provenance: French private collection.
Acquired at the French art marked in the 1960′s.
attractive greenbrown patina
left paw missing, otherwise intact |
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBJECT - ROMAN IMPERIAL - Bronze figure of Fortuna (Tyche) - 2nd century AD
height 67mm. ; weight 36,25gr.
Bronze figure of Fortuna (Greek, Tyche), goddess of fortune and luck. She is standing frontal, on her head she wears a diadem with a modius on top, and dressed with a long chiton and himation, that is draped gracefully over her left shoulder, left arm and around her right hip. Her right hand extends down to hold the rudder and her left hand holds the cornucopia, the horn of plenty.
The goddess is standing is a majestic posture. Her head with centrally parted wavy hair, falling at the back with a twist of hair. Her face with engraved features, straight nose and small lips. The figure is standing frontal and frozen with rather schematic details, as typical to the period.
Her attributes symbolize her characteristics as a goddess: the modius represents a grain-measure which symbolize powers over fecundity, the rudder indicates that she was controlling the luck and the cornucopia indicates that she was the goddess of fortune.
provenance; from an English private collection. Acquired on the London art market in the 1980′s
minor crack in the rudder
intact |
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