A Marble Head of Apollo, Roman Imperial, Antonine Period, circa A.D. 138-193

inspired by a Greek original of the 2nd Century B.C., turned slightly to his right, his oval face with parted lips and eyes with deeply recessed pupils, his long upswept hair radiating from the crown, bound in a diadem, surmounted by a wreath of laurel, and falling in a tapering plait over the nape of the neck, locks escaping before the ears and over the neck.

Property of a Lady (Sotheby's, London, July 10th, 1972, no. 164, illus.)
David Peel & Co, London, July 19th, 1973

Benedict Nicolson, The Burlington Magazine, vol. 115, no. 842, May 1973, p. 355

Proper right side of head unevenly covered with fairly thick layer of dark reddish incrustation, has a more damaged ear, and several fresh chips, including one on wreath, surface of head weathered overall, note significant chips and abrasions to facial features, eyes could have been drilled at a later date.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

For another exact Roman copy of this type, now in the Centrale Montemartini in Rome, see D. Mustilli, Il Museo Mussolini, Rome, 1939, p. 77, no. 21, pl. 45 (E. Simon, "Apollon / Apollo," Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, vol. II, 1984, p. 389, no. 77, illus.; Arachne, no. 16211, for multiple views). Erika Simon describes the head in Rome as an Antonine creation "derived from Classical and Hellenistic models, and among others the Apollo of Kyrene."

Professor Maurice Cooke (1915-2010) was a highly esteemed lecturer in History of Art at Bangor University in Wales and formed a distinguished collection of fine art and sculpture, including seminal works by modern British artists such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, along with works of Pablo Picasso and Isamu Noguchi. (see also lots 61 and 67)