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THBMassive Roman Marble Furniture Leg Lion, Head / Paw
Lot 39a
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
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
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$15,000 - $25,000
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Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $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 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
Museum-worthy examples of classical antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Viking, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine / Visual Arts, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Museum-worthy examples of classical antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Viking, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine / Visual Arts, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (416)
- Lot Description
Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd century CE. A handsome, large marble table leg, also known as a trapezophoron, with a giant clawed foot, leg joint, and smooth body that widens to a fierce lion's head. The mane is carved onto the leg below the lion's projecting snout and radiates outward around the heavy head, which features small ears, deepset eyes, a furrowed brow, and a mouth full of sharp teeth with the tongue between them. Above and behind the lion is a plinth and support. Imagine the size and grandeur of the table that this leg once supported! Size: 8.1" L x 6.75" W x 30.25" H (20.6 cm x 17.1 cm x 76.8 cm); 33.75" H (85.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Feline-headed table supports were a sign of wealth and refinement in ancient Rome, and several examples of different styles are known, although most, unlike this one, have been restored. Perhaps the most famous are the three found with a round marble tabletop in the house of Cornelius Rufus in Pompeii, which stood behind the impluvium, the area of a Roman house usually lined with marble and designed to carry away rainwater. Tables like this one were designed to support a display of vases, oil lamps, and other household treasures. These legged tables were not always tripods - other examples found at Pompeii were two- and four-legged. Fascinatingly, many of these table legs - the ones not frozen in time by volcanic eruptions - took on a life of their own, long after their original owners commissioned them. For example, some have been found from the medieval period in cities that were not in existence during the Roman period, no doubt carried there by people who found the ruins of a Roman villa and were struck by the beauty of the Roman's artwork.
c. f., "Fortuna Fine Arts, Ltd. "Reflections of the Past", 2001, pg. 39; a more dramatic but partially restored example at Christie's that sold in 2008 for GBP 84,500 (approximately USD 110,000): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-roman-marble-table-leg-in-the-5066993-details.aspx; a similar but restored example at the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=459865&partId=1&searchText=Trapezophoron&page=1; and another of very similar style made of black basalt at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, UK: http://webapps.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/explorer/index.php?qu=roman%20lion%20leg&oid=65544
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 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.
#143887Intact and unrestored. Weathered surface with some light deposits. Losses to upper plinth and the lion's snout, with surface wear commensurate with age overall.Condition
- Shipping Info
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