Rare Ancient Greek Phrygian Bronze Helmet

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Connoisseur's Delight Fine Art & Antiquities

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 27, 2024

Set Reminder 2024-06-27 11:00:00 2024-06-27 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Connoisseur's Delight Fine Art & Antiquities https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/connoisseurs-delight-fine-art-antiquities-16181
Classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Eastern Greek, Anatolia (Turkey), Phrygian, Hellenistic Period, ca. 400 to 300 BCE. A spectacular leaded-bronze Phrygian helmet with the distinctive conical body and a curved terminus, a flat protruding rim, pierced holes for cheek plates, and a downturned neck guard flap. The helmet's name comes from its shape, especially the high and forward-inclined apex, resembling the caps worn by Phrygian and Thracian peoples. Most Phrygian helmets, like other Greek helmets, were made of bronze, the domed cap of the helmet was usually made from a single sheet and the pointed terminus was attached separately and riveted in place. The apex point on this helmet is facing backwards, which is unusual, so this helmet may have been restored with the apex affixed facing backwards. Another theory is this helmet was made for a statue of Attis, the god of vegetation and the natural cycle of growth and decay. Size: 9" L x 8.5" W x 9.5" H (22.9 cm x 21.6 cm x 24.1 cm); 22.5" H (57.2 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Attis is frequently depicted wearing a Phrygian cap, which is a soft, conical hat with the top pulled forward. This cap is similar in shape to the Phrygian helmet and is often considered a symbol of his Eastern origins and his association with the Phrygian culture. Attis was originally a deity in Phrygian mythology before being adopted into Greek cults in the 4th century BCE. In Phrygian culture, Attis was associated with the mother goddess Cybele, and his myth involved themes of death and rebirth. As the cult of Cybele spread into the Greek world, Attis was incorporated into Greek religion, where he retained his associations with Cybele and fertility rites but was integrated into the Greek pantheon with some adaptations. This syncretism reflects the broader pattern of cultural and religious exchange between the ancient Phrygians and Greeks. The Phrygian cap and helmet both symbolize the exotic, non-Greek origin of Attis and his associated cult, emphasizing the god’s foreignness and the mysticism surrounding his worship.
  
  The myth of Attis includes a significant and dramatic episode of castration. According to the myth, Attis was a beautiful youth loved by the Phrygian goddess Cybele (sometimes identified with the Great Mother goddess). The details of the myth vary, but a common version goes as follow, Cybele fell deeply in love with Attis, however, he was either unfaithful or intended to marry a mortal woman. In a fit of jealous rage or due to a divine curse from Cybele, Attis went mad, and in his craze, he castrated himself under a pine tree and bled to death. Cybele was stricken with grief and begged Zeus (or another deity) to resurrect him. In some versions, Zeus granted that Attis would be reborn or that his body would never decay, symbolizing the cycle of death and rebirth associated with vegetation and seasonal change. Attis is frequently depicted wearing a Phrygian cap, which is a soft, conical hat with the top pulled forward. This cap is similar in shape to the Phrygian helmet and is often considered a symbol of his Eastern origins and his association with the Phrygian culture. Attis was originally a deity in Phrygian mythology before being adopted into Greek cults in the 4th century BCE. In Phrygian culture, Attis was associated with the mother goddess Cybele, and his myth involved themes of death and rebirth. As the cult of Cybele spread into the Greek world, Attis was incorporated into Greek religion, where he retained his associations with Cybele and fertility rites but was integrated into the Greek pantheon with some adaptations. This syncretism reflects the broader pattern of cultural and religious exchange between the ancient Phrygians and Greeks. The Phrygian cap and helmet both symbolize the exotic, non-Greek origin of Attis and his associated cult, emphasizing the god’s foreignness and the mysticism surrounding his worship.
  
  The myth of Attis includes a significant and dramatic episode of castration. According to the myth, Attis was a beautiful youth loved by the Phrygian goddess Cybele (sometimes identified with the Great Mother goddess). The details of the myth vary, but a common version goes as follow, Cybele fell deeply in love with Attis, however, he was either unfaithful or intended to marry a mortal woman. In a fit of jealous rage or due to a divine curse from Cybele, Attis went mad, and in his craze, he castrated himself under a pine tree and bled to death. Cybele was stricken with grief and begged Zeus (or another deity) to resurrect him. In some versions, Zeus granted that Attis would be reborn or that his body would never decay, symbolizing the cycle of death and rebirth associated with vegetation and seasonal change. During festivals and rituals, such as the spring festival of Hilaria, followers of Attis might wear similar headgear to honor the god and connect with his mythological narrative of death and rebirth.
  
  Provenance: private London, UK collection; ex-private European collection; ex-Chris Arthurson collection, 1984; acquired in Berlin in 1947; Mr. M. Schultz's collection 1923; ex- Jorg Krause, 1897
  
  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.
  
  #187404

  Condition

  Surface is cleaned and likely covered with a clear, protective coating. The apex tip may have been professionally reattached and the seam covered in modern times; if so, restoration repairs are invisible and impossible to discern. Overall excellent condition and presentation. Dark green patina and oxidation.
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