Published Lifesize Roman Bronze Right Arm (of Man)

About Auction

Live

Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art...

By Artemis Gallery

Mar 9, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-03-09 10:00:00 2023-03-09 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-ancient-ethnographic-fine-art-12354
Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

View Full Catalog (413)

• Lot Description
  **Originally Listed At $15000**
  
  Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. A cast bronze right arm and hand from a life-size - or more than life-size statue of a man or god. Indeed, it is oversized - I am not going out on a limb here (no pun intended). The arm is complete, cast from three joined pieces (upper arm, forearm, and hand) joined via a lead compound. Note the naturalistic rendering, delineating the musculature as well as the extended hand with fingers posed as if it once held a scepter or spear, in addition to the skillfully rendered digits with nail beds and knuckles. Size: 29.5" L (74.9 cm); 14.75" H (37.5 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  In the Classical World, bronze was the preferred material for dedicatory sculpture. Due to its high tensile strength, bronze enabled a sculptor to create figures with impressive poses. Stone, on the other hand (no pun intended), presented more limitations. Unfortunately, though many bronze sculptures were created during antiquity, most have vanished with far fewer surviving in comparison to their marble counterparts, as bronze sculptures were frequently melted down, so that the bronze could be reused. Because of this, surviving Roman bronzes like this example are very special.
  
  In addition, life-size or monumental statues were built via the lost-wax casting method and sections were soldered together to create the figure. Due to this production method, when statues fell during battle or natural disasters, these joins were weak points. Hence we have more bronze fragments than intact statues today.
  
  This piece was published in "Reflections of the Past" (Fortuna Fine Arts, New York, New York, 2001) - figure 49.
  
  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.
  
  Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; New York, USA, 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.
  
  #145847

  Condition

  Remains of iron pins on the arm for attaching other elements. Minor losses to edge of upper arm. An old loss to outer wrist and palm. Casting flaw to the thumb. Normal surface wear commensurate with age. Beautiful warm patina with areas of bright green patina as shown.
• 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 %