Roman Limestone Head of Male Child Cherubic Innocence

Lot 55

About Seller

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

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About Auction

Exceptional Ancient, Ethnographic, & Fine Art by Artemis Gallery

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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

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Lot Description

**Originally Listed At $8000**

Roman, Imperial Period, Eastern Empire, ca. 2nd to 3rd century CE. An endearing limestone head of a male child presenting an idealized visage of classicized features; a quixotic representation of the cherubic innocence of youth from the Ancient Roman Empire! The child gazes outward from drilled pupils below neatly incised brows and thick, wavy hair. Note how the artist has rendered flesh from stone in the naturalistic nose, full cheeks, and cupid's bow lips, all displaying a lifelike softness, yet all within a nearly symmetric countenance. While portraits of the Roman Republic are noted for their realism, Imperial Roman sculpture was greatly impacted by the idealism of the Greeks and became rich, subtle, and sophisticated, blending the psychological realism of Roman art with the sensuous forms of Greek modeling. This young man is a superb example of the Imperial Roman trend towards idealism with his gentle, dreamy features. Size: 6.4" W x 9.1" H (16.3 cm x 23.1 cm); 11.8" H (30 cm) on included custom stand.

Marble statuary was everywhere in ancient Rome; even after all of the plundering that Rome underwent after the fall of the Roman Empire, we can still see a tremendous amount of marble statuary, including friezes, busts, and full body statues, throughout the city. As a Roman citizen, you would have seen a world decorated with sculpted pieces like this one; they would have been brightly colored, gilded, or given inlays of shell or other stone. Today, with age taking them down to their original stone, they have attained a solemn, timeless look.

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 New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Nancy and Earl Keefer 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.

#175491

Condition

Fragment of a larger piece. Professionally repaired and restored with light nicks and abrasions commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with nice preservation of detail.
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.
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