- 53
A Roman Marble Portrait Head of a Man, circa A.D. 220-240
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- A Roman Marble Portrait Head of a Man
- marble
- Height 25.5 cm.
apparently deliberately damaged, turned to his right, with short hair and beard, eyes with incised irises, drilled crescentic pupils, and crow's feet, slight frown; no restorations.
Provenance
acquired by the present owner on the Roman art market in the 1950s
Literature
Marianne Bergmann, Studien zum römischen Porträt des 3. Jhs. n. Chr., Bonn, 1977, pp. 123 and 128, pl. 37,1–2
Susan Wood, "A too-successful Damnatio Memoriae," American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 87, 1983, p. 491, note 16
Sotheby's, London, Ancient Marbles, June 13th, 2016, no. 54, illus.
Susan Wood, "A too-successful Damnatio Memoriae," American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 87, 1983, p. 491, note 16
Sotheby's, London, Ancient Marbles, June 13th, 2016, no. 54, illus.
Condition
Nose, upper lip, and mnustache smashed away, ears mostly abraded away, vertical crack in stone behind proper right ear, various chips and abrasions.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Bergmann (op. cit., p. 128) compares the present head to one in Cambridge, Mass. (C. Vermeule and A. Brauer, Stone Sculptures. The Greek, Roman, and Etruscan Collections of the Harvard University Art Museums, 1990, p. 155, no. 142) and dates both to the post-Gallienic period, namely after A.D. 268. However, the Cambridge head is now identified as emperor Macrinus, who reigned from A.D. 217 to 218 (D. Salzmann, Jahrbuch des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts, vol. 98, 1983, p. 365f.). Therefore, the present head appears to be pre-Gallienic.