Lot 71
Ancient Near East, Parthian culture, ca. 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE. A beautiful marble sculpture of a reclining, semi-nude female leaning on her left arm in which she holds a cup just below her supple breasts, indicating she is a banqueter. Her right arm extends down her body with the elbow on her hip and her hand resting at her thigh, accentuating the voluptuous curves of her feminine physique. While the treatment of the body and graceful pose undeniably betray Hellenistic influence, the creases at the neck, the drilled navel, and the voluptuous form are elements of an established local tradition. Size: 5.5" L x 1.7" W x 3.4" H (14 cm x 4.3 cm x 8.6 cm); 3.6" H (9.1 cm) on included custom stand.
The nude, seminude, or dressed reclining woman was a popular motif in Parthian-period Mesopotamia and was made in both terracotta and alabaster. Numerous examples have been excavated at Seleucia on the Tigris and also at Babylon, mainly in the residential areas of these cities. The type may go back to Seleucid times, but its combination of Greek and Near Eastern features is characteristic of Parthian art, as well.
The significance of the alabaster and terracotta images of reclining women has to be sought in a local context and remains disputed. It has been suggested that they represented the goddess Anahita and were used as fertility charms (mainly for the alabaster statuettes) or, alternatively, that they were tomb offerings related to notions of the funerary banquet (for the terracotta figurines). However, male recliners are more rare and few statuettes seem to come from tombs.
A similar Parthian stone reclining female figure at Christie's New York hammered for $55,000 as lot 155 on December 6, 2007 ("Antiquities" Live Auction 1915), and another similar figure, though missing its head, at Christie's London hammered for 20,000 GBP (at the time equivalent to $30,862) on October 6, 2011 ("Antiquities" Live Auction 2390).
Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art (86.16.4 and 86.16.3), Harvard Art Museums (2013.33), Musee du Louvre (AO 20131, AO 20128, AO 20129, and AO 20130), and the Penn Museum (B318).
Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010
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.
#179484
- Condition: Missing feet and back of head. Heavy weathering to surface with abrasions and softening of detail as shown. Otherwise, the form is still clear with an elegant overall presentation. Nice earthen encrustations to areas.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 26.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |