Greek Canosan Terracotta Aphrodite w/ Scallop Shell

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Exceptional Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographi...

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 10, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-06-10 10:00:00 2021-06-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-7012
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• Lot Description
  Magna Graecia, Apulia, Canosan Hellenistic Period, ca. 3rd century BCE. An exemplary mold-made terracotta figure of Aphrodite (Roman Venus), the goddess of love, passion, and femininity, as she rides atop a scallop shell on a wave of seafoam. Dynamically posed, the classical beauty positions both legs to her left as she twists her torso forwards, holds both arms out before her, and gazes to her right. A lengthy chiton is fastened atop her square shoulders and belted just below her bosom, laying in a V-shaped neckline at her chest and then cascading down her sylphlike body into delicate folds across her legs. Her elegantly long neck supports a naturalistic visage, topped with a centrally parted coiffure, pulled back into a low knot, and a minimalistic diadem. A pair of shapely feet peek out from below the hem of her chiton. Note the impressive remains of powder blue and salmon pink pigments throughout the hollow sculpture! Size: 7.875" L x 3.875" W x 11.25" H (20 cm x 9.8 cm x 28.6 cm); 12.75" H (32.4 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Though she is clothed, this sculpture may depict the goddess moments after her birth. According to Hesiod's "Theogony," Aphrodite was born when Cronus severed Uranus' genitals and threw them into the sea. When his genitals met the sea, Hesiod states, "a white foam spread around them from the immortal flesh, and in it there grew a maiden. First she drew near holy Cythera, and from there, afterwards, she came to sea-girt Cyprus, and came forth an awful and lovely goddess, and grass grew up about her beneath her shapely feet." This myth is perhaps most famously depicted in the Italian Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli's "Birth of Venus" (ca. 1484 to 1486 CE).
  
  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: ex-Barakat Gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, acquired prior to 2000
  
  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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  #164631

  Condition

  Repaired from several pieces with restoration over break lines. Missing left arm below elbow and fingers of right hand. Area between mid-bicep and wrist of right arm restored from new material. Losses to area around firing hole of verso. Expected nicks, minor chips, softening of detail, and some abrasions throughout, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with light earthen deposits and nice remaining pigments.
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