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THBEtruscan Bronze Hercle Figure
Lot 20c
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,200 - $2,500
Starting Bid
$500
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Mar 20, 2025
Set Reminder
2025-03-20 10:00:00
2025-03-20 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Finds | Ancient, Asian, Ethno, Fine Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-finds-ancient-asian-ethno-fine-art-18151
Explore a world of classical antiquities and ethnographic masterpieces, with treasures from every corner of the globe. Discover Egyptian relics, Greek and Roman artifacts, Etruscan elegance, Near Eastern wonders, and Asian heritage. Marvel at Pre-Columbian marvels, Native American artistry, African tribal expressions, and Oceanic cultural gems. Spanish Colonial legacies, Russian craftsmanship, and a spectrum of fine and visual arts await, offering a captivating journey through history and artistry, connecting cultures across time. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisgallery.com
Explore a world of classical antiquities and ethnographic masterpieces, with treasures from every corner of the globe. Discover Egyptian relics, Greek and Roman artifacts, Etruscan elegance, Near Eastern wonders, and Asian heritage. Marvel at Pre-Columbian marvels, Native American artistry, African tribal expressions, and Oceanic cultural gems. Spanish Colonial legacies, Russian craftsmanship, and a spectrum of fine and visual arts await, offering a captivating journey through history and artistry, connecting cultures across time. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (266)
- Lot Description
Classical World, Etruria, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE. A lovely leaded bronze figurine of Hercle (Roman Hercules, Greek Herakles) formed using the lost-wax (cire perdue) method, standing nude with his left leg stretched forward as he raises a club with his right arm, about to strike something, and carries the remains of his famous Nemean Lion's hide with the forearm of his left. Enveloped in a rich green patina, the mythic hero presents a slender body with a protruding phallus and a round head with incised features and a pointed coiffure. Etruscan art from this period shows the clear influence of Classical Greek models, with fluid poses and a desire to present naturalistic features. Hercle was incredibly popular in ancient Etruria, with scenes from his myth depicted over and over again in all forms of art. Size: 0.7" L x 1.8" W x 2.8" H (1.8 cm x 4.6 cm x 7.1 cm); 3.9" H (9.9 cm) on included custom stand.
The Etruscans were in contact with the Greek colonies in southern Italy throughout their existence and much of their trade and artwork connections were more closely related to the Greeks than to the Romans with whom they are more often associated. Etruria - modern day Tuscany, Lazio, and Umbria - was rich in metals, including copper, and the Etruscans drew upon their native resources to become master bronzesmiths. Votive figures like this one were traded far and wide according to Pliny the Elder. Titus Livius records that when the consul Marcus Fluvius Flaccus conquered the Etruscan city of Volsinii, they took a line of wagons, including two thousand bronze statues, to Rome, where they were melted down to make coinage to finance the war against Carthage.
The iconography of this bronze references the legendary hero's first labor when King Eurystheus asked Hercle to bring him the skin of a fierce lion that terrorized the hillside around Nemea - a seemingly impossible task. Despite the fact that initially Hercle's arrows were utterly useless against this threatening beast, our hero ultimately succeeded, clutching the lion in his muscular arms all the while strategically avoiding its claws, finally choking it to death. A marvelous rendering of Hercle displaying the ancient artist's strong interest in delineating physiognomy and movement of Hercle's heroic yet human form.
Provenance: private Thousand Oaks, California, USA collection, acquired August 17, 2004; ex-Peter Morris collection, Kent, England
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.
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#192427Missing lion's hide on proper left arm. Stable hairline fissure to club and weathering to surface commensurate with age, as shown. Rich patina throughout.Condition
- Shipping Info
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