Lifesize Roman Marble Head of a Woman

About Auction

Live

Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Feb 21, 2019

Set Reminder 2019-02-21 10:00:00 2019-02-21 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-3858
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (472)

• Lot Description
  Roman, early Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A fascinating, evocative sculpted marble head depicting a woman with enigmatic facial features. Her face is unique enough - especially around the mouth and nose - to indicate that it depicts a real woman. She has large, almond-shaped eyes that would once have been painted, a large nose, and a full-lipped, small mouth that appears to have a small smile. Her earlobes are clearly visible underneath her hair, which is richly carved to give the appearance of flowing waves that are parted at the center and pulled back. What appears to be a veil - perhaps held in place atop a diadem or similar item that remains as a bulge at the top of her head - hangs down behind her ears. A deeply drilled channel behind one ear may indicate where she once held an attribute. Her neck is turned at a slight angle. The marble has a rich, creamy color that glows warmly in light. Size: 9.2" W x 12.25" H (23.4 cm x 31.1 cm); 17.55" H (44.6 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Classical Greeks and the Romans who came after them honored notable individuals by sculpting them in marble, often with the intention of placing the sculpture at their tomb. While the Greeks frequently portrayed their subjects as idealized and youthful, the Romans focused more on true physical characteristics. Their attention to realistic details of dress and coiffure indicated their subjects' social and political statuses. The woman depicted here may have commissioned the artwork herself - wealthy patrons in ancient Rome could be either men or women - and she doubtless wanted to see herself portrayed as a good, wealthy, and generous person.
  
  See similar eyes, mouth, and hair on a marble woman's head at the Getty Museum: http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/6540/unknown-maker-bust-of-a-woman-roman-about-ad-130/
  
  Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-private California, USA collection, acquired in the 1980s
  
  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.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #143566

  Condition

  The head is a fragment from a larger statue, but what remains is intact and unrepaired. Weathering and deposits on surface commensurate with age and some exposure to the elements, including some light iron oxide deposits, most notable on the front of the hair. Details are beautifully preserved. The two channels on the lower right (facing) probably once had an attribute attached to them.
• Shipping Info

  • All shipping is handled in-house for your convenience. Your invoice from Artemis Gallery will include shipping calculation instructions. If in doubt, please inquire BEFORE bidding for estimated shipping costs for individual items.

• Buyer's Premium
  • 26.50 %