Description:

Rome, Republic Period, ca. 4th to 2nd century BCE. A mold-made earthenware head of a male youth with finely rendered naturalistic features, wearing a cap or hood over his curly coiffure. Republican verism or realism in sculptural portraiture most likely reflected the Roman belief that a person's individuality could be communicated via his or her facial features. This was in contrast to the earlier Greek understanding that the essence of an individual resided in both the head and the body. Hence, the Romans believed that emphasis should be placed on the face, and therefore realistic renditions of facial features differentiated people and created records of their specific individual traits. According to reputable Roman scholars, the Romans' emphasis on realism in portraiture had no counterpart in other contemporary cultures; however, it drew influence from earlier sources, including Etruscan and Hellenistic visual culture. Size: 4.25" H (10.8 cm)

Provenance: private Owen collection, New Jersey, USA, acquired in the 1990s from a US-based dealer; ex-estate of an American artist resident in Rome just after the war, brought to the US ca. 1960

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.

#128991

  • Condition: Losses to neckline - possibly indicating a section from a larger figure. Expected surface wear with white sea encrustation.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

March 15, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
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 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000