Fine Roman Marble Head of Goddess

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Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 24, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-03-24 10:00:00 2022-03-24 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-fine-art-9057
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• Lot Description
  Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. Wow! A paragon of the Classical ideal! This is an astonishing portrayal of a goddess, perhaps Juno, queen of the gods and wife of Jupiter. The gorgeous deity gazes forth from generously lidded, almond-shaped eyes beneath a fine brow line that arches gracefully and merges with the bridge of her nose. Her quixotic visage displays an ovoid form with an elegant nose, a gently protruding chin, and soft lips held slightly parted. Coiling ringlets of hair crown her face, meticulously delineated and held back by a slender fillet as they delicately graze the tops of her ears. In addition to conveying the naturalism of the goddess's facial features, the artist demonstrates the impressive ability to render not just flesh but divine flesh from stone, as evident in the silken texture of her brow and cheeks, as well as the angelic nature of her countenance. Size: 6.5" H (16.5 cm); 10" H (25.4 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  The marble has aged to a warm hue of apricot, enhancing the sculptural form. The idealized style embodied by this example comes from the canon of Phidian sculpture, a manner that began in the 5th century BCE with the Greek sculptor Phidias (480 to 430 BCE) who was the chief artist of the Athenian ruler Pericles (495 to 429 BCE) in the period of Periclean supremacy. Phidian - also known as high classical - style emphasized the idealized human form in which "individual traits were suppressed, as were extremes of youth and old age; almost the only subjects were men and women in their prime. A certain homogeneity was achieved; it has been said that all high classical statues look alike, with their straight noses, down-turned mouths, vacant stares, and simplified musculature." (Biers, William R. The Archaeology of Greece. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1996, page 196). This romanticized style was believed to be emblematic of both the artistic and political dominance of Athens under Periclean rule. Centuries later, the Roman educator and rhetorician Quintilian (35 to 100 CE) regarded Phidias as one of the most important sculptors of antiquity, stating "On the other hand, Phidias is regarded as more gifted in his representation of gods station of men, and indeed for chryselephantine statues he is without a peer, as he would in truth be, even if he had produced nothing in this material beyond his Minerva at Athens and his Jupiter at Olympia in Elis, whose beauty is such that it is said to have added something even to the awe with which the god was already regarded: so perfectly did the majesty of the work give the impression of godhead." (Quintilian, "Institutio Oratoria," XII.10.9)
  
  In Roman mythology, the ancient Roman goddess Juno, the queen of the gods, protector and special counselor to the state, and goddess of the sky and the stars, was said to have created the peacock from Argus whose hundred eyes seen on the tailfeathers of the peacock symbolize the vault of heaven and the "eyes" of the stars.
  
  This example is remarkably similar to the Hera Borghese carved by Phidias. Other Roman examples of Hera Borghese can be found at the Walter's Museum under accession number 23.146 and Musee du Louvre under accession number MNE 936 (or Ma 4525). For additional Roman marble heads of goddesses that resemble this piece see: British Museum, 1805,0703.54 and Smith College Museum of Art, 20.38-1.
  
  Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private New York City, New York, USA collection; ex-private Round Rock, Texas, USA collection, from the 1980s, acquired from Morris Khouli
  
  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 firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #170392

  Condition

  Fragment of a larger sculpture. Old losses to top and verso. Expected surface wear with chipping, indentations, and some surface loss to nose, brow, lips, hair, chin, and cheeks, as well as nicks and abrasions in other areas, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with remarkable preservation of detail. Marble color aged to warm hue of apricot due to iron rich soil.
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