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THBRoman Stone Mosaic - Running Feline
Lot 47b
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
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$8,000 - $12,000
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Oct 8, 2020
Set Reminder
2020-10-08 10:00:00
2020-10-08 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-5796
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal,Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal,Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (353)
- Lot Description
Roman, the Levant, late Imperial Period, ca. 3rd to 5th century CE. A striking stone mosaic depicting a running wild feline, perhaps a puma or a lioness, striding toward the left with outstretched limbs, a long curling tail, and a focused expression with large leering eyes and an open mouth as if roaring in pursuit of its prey. The animal is delineated with square stone tesserae of various shades of grey, brown, black, and white against a creamy beige ground with red and grey floral motifs in the field and a grey and russet red groundline below. Size (mosaic): 38.125" W x 27.25" H (96.8 cm x 69.2 cm); (frame): 40.25" W x 29.3" H (102.2 cm x 74.4 cm)
Mosaics (opus tesellatum) are some of our enduring images from the Roman world, not only for their aesthetic beauty, but also because they reveal what Romans chose to depict and see every day decorating their private and public spaces. This piece at first glance seems quite simple - a wild feline depicted running in profile. However, the symbolism of the iconography is layered and rich. In the classical world, lions symbolized power, wealth, and might. They were famously featured in many ancient myths, perhaps the most famous being that of Hercules (Greek Herakles) slaying the Nemean lion for his first labor. The lions fur was believed to be impenetrable to attacks since according to legend it was made of gold and its claws were far sharper than swords with the power to slice through armor. In the end, Hercules defeated the lion by strangling it and wore its skin.
Lions were also favorite iconography for buildings, coins, and statues. Examples include the Lion Gate to the Citadel of Mycenae, the Terrace of the Lions on the island of Delos, and the lion hunt mosaic from Pella featuring Alexander engaged in a lion hunt. Of course lions were also used in the Roman arenas where they would fight other animals, such as tigers and bears.
In the Roman province of Syria, which encompassed most of the ancient Near East/Levant, mosaics developed as a popular art form relatively late, with most finds coming from the 3rd century CE or later. Syria was one of Rome's wealthiest provinces, but it was also far removed from Rome itself and Roman culture was overlaid on enduring cultural traditions from Hellenistic Greece and the great civilizations that came before it. For example, Antioch-on-the-Orontes (modern day Antakya, Turkey), was the capital of northern Roman Syria, and its excavations in the 1930s revealed more than three hundred mosaic pavements.
Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA; ex Libert family collection late 1980's
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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#157319Mounted on a concrete backing and framed. Chips and small losses to several tesserae, with a few stable fissures to tesserae and concrete matrix, and light encrustations, otherwise in beautiful condition with wonderful preservation to feline imagery and tesserae colors.Condition
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