6th C. Byzantine Marble Relief - Peacocks & Fountain

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Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art

By Artemis Gallery

Dec 2, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-12-02 10:00:00 2021-12-02 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-art-7918
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• Lot Description
  **This is an oversized piece that may require special shipping. Please inquire for a quote prior to bidding.
  
  Near East, late Roman / Byzantine Period, ca. 6th century CE. An exemplary marble sarcophagus panel, finely sculpted with the elaborate image of 2 peacocks drinking from the fountain of life, surrounded by sinuous grape vines and several other animals. Confronting one another, the beautiful birds stand in profile, each exhibiting a pointed beak, an annular eye, a puffed-out chest, a prominent crest, and lengthy tail feathers. Each feather on their bodies has been skillfully delineated with fine detail. The fountain of life rises between them, vaguely resembling a kantharos with a cup-like shape at the bottom and then flared on top where streams of water flow outwards, sprouting into spiraling tendrils, bunches of grapes, and palm leaves. Many other animals join the regal fowls, among them are a dog, a stag, a lamb, a ram, a lion, a horse, and many birds. Size: 73.5" L x 3.6" W x 19.2" H (186.7 cm x 9.1 cm x 48.8 cm); 22.5" H (57.2 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  This elaborate example is replete with both artistic virtuosity and iconographic symbolism. The ancient Byzantines likely believed that the peacock was an appropriate iconographical symbol not only because of the manner in which its elaborate feathers fell out and grew again each spring, but also as it was believed that the flesh of the peacock did not decay. Thus, the bird became a symbol of renewal, resurrection, and immortality in early Christian and Byzantine culture. Fine images of the peacock depicted on marble panels, mosaics, and other pieces of art were also associated as an extension of heaven on earth; concurrently, many wealthy individuals were thought to have kept peacocks as pets to physically be closer to heaven and therefore live a more pious lifestyle. Here, they are shown with a fountain since water is another symbol of renewal, as well as the Christian sacrament of baptism. In this way, the peacocks may also serve as an allusion to the beauty one attains via baptism, as Didymus the Blind (313 to 398 CE) writes in De Trinitate, "The Holy Spirit renovates us in baptism, and in union with the Father and the Son brings us back from a state of deformity to our pristine beauty." An additional Christian sacrament is referenced via the meandering grape vines and bunches of grapes, which are a clear symbol of the Eucharist - during which wine was believed to be transformed into the blood of Christ via transubstantiation. The chalice-like shape of the fountain further strengthens this connection to the Eucharist. As this ceremony commemorates the Last Supper, the grapes and chalice-like fountain may serve as yet another symbol of resurrection and renewal. Of course, the palm branches tie into this theme as well as palms were a frequent symbol of the triumph over death and the promise of immortality throughout Early Christian art due to their ability to remain green year-round. While stags were also typically associated with resurrection due to the shedding and regrowing of their antlers, the inclusion of all of the animals intertwined with the vines may express the harmony and immortality of the natural world.
  
  Marble statuary, reliefs, and cladding were ubiquitous in the Roman world, as the remains of the preserved cities at Herculaneum and Pompeii demonstrate. Their sculpture was intended to conjure human vitality, and was inspired by the works of Polykleitos, who became the model to which sculptors aspired in Greco-Roman as well as later Western European art. Greco-Roman statuary, unlike that of the other Mediterranean civilizations like Egypt, Persia, etc., celebrated the naturalistic human form. This included representations of their gods, who appear as if living people, dressed as if they are elite citizens. For example, the famous statue of Hades with Cerberus, his three-headed dog, today on display at the Archaeological Museum of Crete, has an extremely realistic quality despite its fantastical nature, down to the details on each dog head. This suggests an intriguing, more personal relationship with the gods rather than the more abstract or magical portrayals of other contemporary societies.
  
  The word sarcophagus literally means "flesh-eater" in Greek. Sarcophagi were coffins used throughout the Roman Empire beginning in the second century CE when inhumation burials became more popular than cremation practices of the Republican and early Imperial periods. The rise in sarcophagi usage was inspired by earlier Etruscan and Greek models. This example came from a particularly luxurious sarcophagus as it was made from marble. Less elite examples were made from other stones, wood, and lead. A wonderful section of a marble sarcophagus intended for an elite individual of ancient Rome.
  
  The motif of peacocks drinking from the fountain of life was frequently used in mosaics and marble sarcophagi throughout Byzantium. Many of such sarcophagi can be found in Sant'Apollinare in Classe, near Ravenna, Italy, while an additional sarcophagus with this theme is located in Basilica San Vitale in Ravenna.
  
  This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.
  
  Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage replace this
  
  #163169

  Condition

  Possibly a fragment of a larger piece. Areas of loss to top and bottom peripheries. Expected nicks, chips, and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with impressively preserved details.
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