Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art
Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art
Property from a Spanish Private Collection
A ROMAN MARBLE FIGURE OF ASKLEPIOS, CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
Auction Closed
July 2, 04:42 PM GMT
Estimate
100,000 - 150,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from a Spanish Private Collection
A ROMAN MARBLE FIGURE OF ASKLEPIOS, CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
standing with the weight on his right leg and left arm akimbo, his right arm lowered and holding a staff with entwined serpent, and wearing sandals and himation falling from the left shoulder, covering the left arm, and forming a triangular overfold around the lower body, his bearded head turned to his right, his long centrally parted hair bound in a fillet, the pupils recessed, the crown of the head carved separately; his head repaired; plinth, feet, support, right lower arm incl. staff and serpent, two fingers of left hand, and nose restored.
Total height 153 cm.; height without plinth 143.5 cm.; height of head 24 cm.
European private collection, circa 18th Century (based on restoration techniques)
Cesare Della Seta, Rome
Graham Geddes, Melbourne, Australia, acquired from the above in 1972
Price Calder Collection, 1972-1976
Russell Smith Collection, 1976-1994
Graham Geddes, Melbourne, Australia
Felix e Hijo, Madrid
Spanish private collection, acquired from the above
by descent to the present owners
Published
Christie’s, Melbourne, The Graham Geddes Collection, October 15th, 1996, no. 218, illus.
With regard to the statuary composition and the draping of the himation, the present statue is similar to an often copied Asklepios type (see, for example, a replica in Rome: A. Giuliano, ed., Museo Nazionale Romano. Le sculture, vol. I.8, 1985, p. 376f., no. VIII,11). However, it differs with regard to the size and the position of the left foot.
Cesare della Seta also owned a portrait head of Hadrian (Bonhams, April 3rd, 2014, no. 60), a small torso of a peplophoros, and a votive stele (Bonhams, October 15th, 2008, nos. 52 and 61, respectively).