3rd Dec, 2024 10:00
Fine Interiors
272
A Roman marble torso of a man
c.1st century CE, the athletic body depicted nude, originally stood in contrapposto with weighted right leg, a chlamys resting on the left shoulder, with rounded buttocks below a muscular back emphasised by a sunken depression along the spine,
56cm wide
40cm deep
96cm high,
on a bronzed-metal plinth, 182cm high overall
Provenance: Sotheby’s, New York, 25 June 1992, lot 68;
Sotheby’s, New York, 'Antiquities and Islamic Works of Art', 8 June 1994, lot 65;
the property of a European collector.
This sculpture could represent a god such as Hermes, or a hero such as Meleager or Perseus, based on an earlier type from the 4th century BCE by the Greek sculptor Praxiteles or one of his school. It typifies sculpture from the high-point of classical art, characterised by the contrapposto stance of the original and fully intact piece, with a deeply sat hip and resulting S-curve through the remaining torso. An artistic move developed by Greek sculptors and used throughout the Roman period, these features created dynamic figures designed to be shown to advantage from all angles, as opposed to the front alone, as they were prior to this.
One shoulder is draped with a chlamys, a short cloak similar to a Roman paludamentum, known as the only item of clothing for messengers and young soldiers and also an attribute of Hermes, the messenger god. Other known examples of Hermes display a similarly shaped and hung chlamys, including the 'Hermes Richelieu' in the Louvre Museum, Paris, and the Hermes/Mercury from the Andros Farnese collection, in the British Museum; the only difference with these being the present example has the addition of a fibula to secure it in place. Several variants of the pose and styling can be found in the canons of Roman sculpture, as catalogued by Salomon Reinach 'Répertoire de la Statuaire Grecque et Romaine' (Tome 1, p.364, p.366, p.367).
For similar examples of Hermes, see British Museum, London, 'The Farnese Hermes', no. 1864,1021.1;
The Louvre, Paris, 'Hermès Richelieu, Mercure Richelieu', no. MR 272/N 829/Ma 573;
Vatican Museums, Rome, 'Belvedere Hermes', no. 907.
For a similar treatment of the chlamys, see Sotheby’s, 'Ancient Sculpture and Works of Art', 2 July 2019, lot 224.
Take advantage of our Sworders Delivery Service. Please see 'Shipping estimate' below.
The Property of a European Collector
The Fine Interiors team are very excited to present the second part of a remarkable European private collection this December, originally comprising a tantalising mix of antiquities and modern art that reflected the sophisticated taste of its owner.
The antiquities in this sale sit beside a varied assemblage of antique and contemporary furnishings, including a flamboyant ‘Medusa’ dinner service by Rosenthal for Versace, Russian and Greek religious artworks, and several pieces of eye-catching 20th-century design, highlighting the diverse interest of today’s collectors, who are increasingly drawn to pieces that exude character and quality, but are not limited to one particular period and style.
£80,000 - £120,000
Buyer's premium: 30.00% (inclusive of VAT, where applicable)
Condition Report
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Auction: Fine Interiors, 3rd Dec, 2024
Sworders are thrilled to share our full catalogue for the concluding Fine Interiors sale of 2024, featuring over 600 lots of fine and decorative art and furniture from several private collections and estates.
Leading the sale will be a private European collection of Roman sculpture, furniture and works of art, alongside an important marble bust of an Antonine prince, held in a private family collection for the last fifty years We are also fortunate to offer the selected contents of The Old House, a beautiful 16th- century manor house in the sought-after Bedfordshire village of Aspley Guise, which features a vast array of desirable and beautiful items for your home, kicking off the sale in style.
If you have any questions or enquiries, please contact the department for any further information here.
The Old House photography by jacobmilliganphotography
Viewing
Stansted Viewing | Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Friday 29 November, 10am - 4pm
Sunday 1 December, 10am - 1pm
Monday 2 December, 10am - 4pm
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
Full Terms & Conditions relating to our auctions can be found here
Please note that this item is not suitable for a pre-sale automated shipping estimate due to the items weight/size.
The below table shows indicative shipping costs for larger items being delivered within the UK mainland. Please note that all the below costs are purely for indicative purposes and are to be used as a guideline only. If you purchase multiple large items, we will combine deliveries to reduce the shipping costs.
Should you be successful in buying this item, a specific shipping estimate will need to be requested after the sale using the link in your invoice email; this also includes all requests for international delivery.
If you would like further information about shipping and collection please see here.
Buying a pre-loved, antique, or vintage item not only provides you with unique style and value for money but it also helps to reduce landfill, and the annual emissions of an antique or vintage piece can be as little as one sixteenth of those of its new equivalent!
Sworders is proud to be supporting the work of Antiques are Green - the movement that was founded in 2009 to promote “a greener future created from the past”. Read their fascinating carbon footprint study of a Georgian chest of drawers versus a modern equivalent here
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