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THBRoman Marble Relief Mithras Killing Bull (Tauroctony)
Lot 47
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:
$8,000 - $12,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Jun 27, 2024
Set Reminder
2024-06-27 11:00:00
2024-06-27 11:00:00
America/New_York
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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
Classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (206)
- Lot Description
Roman, Imperial period, ca. 3rd century CE. An enticing marble relief depicting Mithras killing a sacred bull (tauroctony) - the iconic act of Mithras commemorated in the Mithraeum where Roman soldiers were assigned. Dressed in a tunic, Mithras is depicted traditionally - lunging with one knee over the beast as he stabs it with a dagger. A long cape flows behind him as he wrenches the head of the struggling bull with his left hand, his right foot pinning down its hind hoof. Despite the name tauroctony, the scene is symbolic, and to date there is no known physical evidence that patrons of the Roman cult ever performed such a rite. Like all Greco-Roman mysteries, the Mithraic Mysteries was limited to initiates, and there is very little known about the cult's beliefs or practices. Size: 1.2" L x 15.4" W x 12.1" H (3 cm x 39.1 cm x 30.7 cm)
Mithraism (also known as the Mithraic mysteries) was a Roman cult religion that focused on the god Mithras. Members of Mithraism would meet underground in temples called mithraea (singular mithraeum); many of which survive today and contain impressive reliefs, sculptures, and frescoes that act as our only source of information about the curious cult. Popular among the Roman army from the 1st to 4th centuries, Mithraic symbolism, like this example, can be found throughout the most expansive periods of the Empire from Roman Britain (a temple to Mithras can still be seen in the modern City of London) to its eastern coasts in the ancient-places-turned-colonies of Thracia and Dacia to Roman Syria, and even Roman Africa and Numidia. These mythraea often include four main illustrations: Mithras' birth from a rock, his slaying of a sacred bull, the celebratory banquet of the bull's slaying, and a lion-headed figure.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired before 2000
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.
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#186059Fragment of a larger piece as shown with some chipping to peripheries. Professionally repaired from 2 pieces with some adhesive and infill along visible break line. Some nicks to surface and cleaned in modern times. Great presentation with impressive detail and light earthen deposits in areas.Condition
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