Master Sculpture from Four Millennia

A Roman Marble Head of Dionysos, circa 2nd Century A.D.

UK: Greenford Park Warehouse

Auction Closed

July 4, 03:04 PM GMT

Estimate

100,000 - 150,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

A Roman Marble Head of Dionysos

circa 2nd Century A.D.

over-lifesize, with slightly parted lips and finely arched brows, his centrally parted hair surmounted by a wreath of ivy leaves and tied in a chignon at the back, long tresses falling down the neck; nose, part of chin, and part of right jaw restored.

Height 35.9 cm.

1. W UK: Greenford Park Warehouse Please note that this lot is marked W - Lots marked “W” will be sent to Greenford Park Warehouse where they may be collected 48 hours after the auction. 2. Please note that the correct provenance for lot 107 reads: "European private collection, 17th/18th Century (based on restoration techniques)/ French private collection, 1920s/ SVV Jean Emmanuel Prunier, Louviers, January 23rd, 2011, no. 112/ Galerie Chenel, Paris, acquired at the above sale/ acquired from the above by the current owner in 2011". The correct Published reads: "Christie’s, New York, December 13th, 2013, no. 155./ Jean-Emmanuel Prunier, Émotions, Louviers, 2020, no. 56, illus." This is how the cataloguing appears on the current online version. The printed catalogue is incorrect.

European private collection, 17th/18th Century (based on restoration techniques)

French private collection, 1920s

SVV Jean Emmanuel Prunier, Louviers, January 23rd, 2011, no. 112

Galerie Chenel, Paris, acquired at the above sale

acquired from the above by the current owner in 2011

Published

Christie’s, New York, December 13th, 2013, no. 155, illus.

Jean-Emmanuel Prunier, Émotions, Louviers, 2020, no. 56, illus.

The present head once belonged to a slightly over-lifesize statue probably related to the Bacchus Richelieu type, which was often reproduced in the Roman period: LIMC, vol. 3, p. 435, no. 122, pl. 306f.; https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010279168. The present head lacks the fillet passing across the forehead, which is characteristic not only of the Richelieu type, but also of many other heads of Dionysos (e.g., see an over-lifesize head in Rome: LIMC, vol. 3, p. 445, no. 202b, pl. 321; https://arachne.dainst.org/entity/1075802). According to ancient literature, such a fillet was worn to lessen the headache induced by drunkenness.