Lot 44B
Rome, late Republican Period, ca. 1st century CE. A finely carved bust of a nude male, presenting a well modelled body from chin to chest, with a Latin inscription on the base that reads as follows: "TI CLAUDI PROCULI" which may translate to the individual's name with "Ti" being an abbreviation for Tiberius, Titus, or Titian; Claudi being the middle name, and Proculi conceivably being the second part of the family name. It is also possible that the person was of the Proculan Claudians - Proculus being the name of an ancient Roman jurist responsible for establishing a distinct means of interpreting Roman Law; his followers were known as Proculeans or Proculiani. Proculus lived during the Julio-Claudian period and purportedly practiced law under Nero. See more about him below. Size: 12.75" W x 13.625" H (32.4 cm x 34.6 cm)
A loyalty to the anatomy in this piece is evident, note how the sculptor delineated the details: those ripples on his neck, the junctures between shoulders and arms, the clavicles, and the nipples. This emphasis on realism suggests that the piece was created during the Republican period. Although we cannot see his face, the concentric folds/wrinkles of flesh on the neck, suggest that the sculptor most likely created a head that presented a highly individualistic visage, lavishing immense attention to details - with every fold and wrinkle meticulously delineated creating a virtual topographical map of this face - a deeply furrowed browline, creases over the nose, sagging bags under the eyes, crows feet, intense nasolabial folds or 'laugh lines' running from the nose to each corner of his mouth (probably earned from years of giving orations rather than giggles), definitive lines etched into his cheeks.
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 a realistic rendition of his facial features differentiated him and created a record of his specific individuality. 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.
Private portrait busts were usually associated with funerary contexts in ancient Rome, rooted in the longstanding tradition of displaying wax portrait masks known as imagines in funeral processions for the upper classes to commemorate their distinguished lineage. These portrayed respected ancestors who had been awarded special honors or held public office, and were proudly displayed in the household family shrine or lararium, accompanied by busts made of bronze, marble, or terracotta. Such prominent displays of these portraits in the public sphere, made if possible for aristocratic families to commemorate their family's history of public service and at the same time honor their deceased relatives.
The term "proculus" referred to a Roman lawyer of the mid 1st century CE, who gave his name to the Proculian school which established a system of law that emphasized consistency and principle. He wrote eleven books of letters based on his teaching and practice of law; the first time the term lawyer was used was in these texts. Later lawyers cited his views often, and 34 passages of his were used by Justinian's compilers for their Digesta.
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico USA collection; Mr. Gottlieb collection, New Jersey, USA, purchased 6/4/70 from Elgin Antiques, 121/3 Portobello Road, London, England.
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#124408
- Condition: Loss to head, right shoulder, and base of pedestal as shown. Expected surface wear and encrustations from exposure to the sea.
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