https://www.electrumartgallery.com/works-of-art-antiquities daily 1.0 2025-10-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520445819881-DKFM9FS7VIAOI3FMASFP/SC19064.jpg Works of Art The boat is composed of several elements (crew, keel, oars, tiller, etc.) that were made separately, then painted and assembled: it is currently possible that some elements were not placed back in their original location. The various parts of the structure were painted in ocher, brick red, white and black; the figures have tanned skin and dark hair, and wear a white loincloth.   The rounded keel with raised stern was carved from a single block of wood, probably acacia wood like most similar examples. The eight rowers are seated with their backs directed to the bow, their hands on their knees: the oars were fastened to the gunwale (holes) and might have been inserted in the holes that are still visible in the hands of some of the rowers. The other two seated figures would have been co-pilots. The central mast supported the sails, while the other pole arranged vertically to the stern was used to fix the rudder(s). The man standing near the bow, holding an oar, may be the navigation assistant giving the pace to the rowers; the helmsman, who stood at the other end of the boat, next to the tiller, is now lost.   This model, which, unlike many surviving examples, shows a good artistic level, represents a travel boat similar to those which sailed on the Nile river: when traveling north, they would be going with the current, gaining even more speed with the rowers; when the ships were traveling south, they had the wind blowing in their direction and would use the sails.   The presence of such small-sized boats in Egyptian tombs can be traced back to the Middle Kingdom when the trend to replace the wall paintings in the mastabas (Old Kingdom) with models included in the funeral furniture was established: aside from ships, many three-dimensional wood items linked to contemporary artisanal (weaving, carpentry, gardening) or economic activities (bakery, brewery, butchery) were found. Like the painted scenes of the previous periods, these objects were intended to provide the deceased with the necessities for life in the next world: these models of boats, especially the travel boats, were also related to the biography of the owner and highlighted his important actions, which he continued after his death, such as the inspection of his properties, leisure boating or pilgrimages to various shrines.   CONDITION Excellent condition; slightly faded paint in some areas; minor restorations and breaks (oar, helm, and sail)   PROVENANCE Formerly, G. Willoughby collection (1866-1923); Ex- P. Vérité collection, Paris, 1920’s; thence by descent to the C. Vérité collection, France.   BIBLIOGRAPHY BERMAN L. M., BOHAC K. J., Catalogue of Egyptian Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Manchester, VA, 1999, pp. 202 ff. Egypte, Moments d’éternité, Mainz am Rhein, 1997, pp. 96-97. Reflets du divin, Antiquités pharaoniques et classiques d’une collection privée, Geneva, 2002, pp. 89-91. REISNER G. A., Models of Ships and Boats, Cairo, 1913. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520440227851-J4MVGQ8N317GS8B79XH4/34839-1aw.jpg Works of Art - HEAD OF A GODDESS OR QUEEN At the first glance, this beautiful female head with a diadem appears to be the head of a goddess represented in the Archaistic style, i.e. imitating the Greek Archaic (ancient) style; such an attribution would be based on the shape of the corkscrew curls. The most typical arrangement of the hairstyle of an Archaistic goddess, however, is different and almost always has long hair parted in the middle of the head and set in several long stiff spiral locks which are put symmetrically on the sides at the shoulders; in addition, the flaps of curving locks hang down in front of each ear.   Although two similar thick corkscrew locks are prominently seen at the temples of this head, their shape looking like the flaps, and the row of shorter corkscrew curls form the lower part of the hairstyle, the rest of the hairstyle is unalike. It consists of the tresses of hair rolled around the top of the head in a kind of a turban which is typical for the hairstyle of the Roman ladies of the Trajan-Hadrian period (the beginning – first third of the 2nd century A.D.). One finds a similar pattern of triangular segments of the tresses in the hairstyle of the time, and also in the portraits of the empress Sabina, wife of Hadrian.   This particular feature helps to date the marble head quite precisely, but leaving the question of the represented person open (in the case of a complete figure, a special garment or additional attribute could help with the identification). The diadem indicates either goddess or queen, as well as the possibility remains for an idealized individual presented in the guise of a goddess or queen.   The stiff spiral locks are equally typical for the hairstyle of the Egyptian goddesses such as Isis or Hathor in the representations of the Hellenistic period. Their iconography was adopted for the images of the Ptolemaic queens. The combination of the vertical rows above the forehead (the stylized short spiral locks), the larger side corkscrews and the diadem in this head resemble the look of the Ptolemaic princess Cleopatra, daughter of Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II, known in history as Cleopatra Thea (the Goddess). Her images are testified in the numismatic material (see ill.). She became the Seleucid queen, was wife of three Seleucid kings and the mother of three other. A remarkable woman, she even ruled on her own, an unprecedented case in the history of the Seleucid empire. She was great aunt of Cleopatra VII who later announced herself as the second Cleopatra Thea. The portraits of the Hellenistic rulers remained popular in the Roman period, they adorned the portrait galleries and libraries of the educated elite, reminding of the grandeur of their life.   CONDITION Complete; surface weathered and cleaned; a few pits and chips in places; rusty stains; the tip of the nose is broken off. PROVENANCE Ex- Karl Wittgenstein (1847-1913) private collection, Vienna, Austria; thence by descent to his daughter, Margaret Wittgenstein-Stonborough (1882-1958); thence by descent. BIBLIOGRAPHY WALKER S., HIGGS P., eds, Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth, London, 2001, p. 87, nos. 92-94. BURSTEIN S.M., The Reign of Cleopatra, Norman, 2007, pp. 78-79.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520440629324-A834BP3QQLMFYJMU1BE8/1463679773-SWH16_0620w.jpg Works of Art - ANCIENT BALKAN PREGNANT "IDOL" This "idol" was carved from a small thin oblong block of white, fine-textured marble. It schematically reproduces a female body, entirely dominated by a linear, geometric design, which is both modern and very close to contemporary Western aesthetics: the head and neck are a simple thin angular ribbon, bent backwards, while the small pointed nose is the only anatomical detail that is plastically indicated; two small triangular stumps drilled with a hole represent the arms; the rounded and prominent belly showing that the figure is pregnant, is the only indication of the sex; the legs, straight and elliptical in section, constitute the neck's counterpart, but do not show any trace of separation between the left and right and look to be devoid of feet.   Although different from the "classical" shapes of the steatopygic statuettes, the design of this "idol" is effectively Neolithic. The prehistoric Balkan cultures provide the best comparisons although no precise parallel is currently known regarding its linear and symmetrical outlines, especially if considering that the material used here is marble. Within the framework of the Vinča and Cucuteni culture (Balkan Neolithic), for instance, there are many terracotta statuettes that have an elongated and ribbed shape, with the torso arched backwards, the result of the same structural idea. The fact that this design was particularly popular in this region of Eastern Europe is also demonstrated by an anthropomorphic ceramic vase of dark grey color, whose ovoid body corresponds to the belly of the statuette, the small pierced handles to its arms and the long neck to the triangular chest; the more easily worked material allowed the potter to incise the eyes, a rough outline of the hair and other details (tattoos?) that are absent on the surface of the marble "idol". The original smooth surface contributes a tactile element to the sophisticated shape.   CONDITION The figure is complete, despite a few chips; the bottom is flat but seems to have been broken or blunted in antiquity (the statuette does not stand by itself). The surface is in excellent condition, entirely smooth and polished, the neck and legs were broken and repaired.   PROVENANCE Ex- N. Koutoulakis, Geneva, mid- 1960’s; Ex- Old British private collection, 1980’s; Ex- US private collection, acquired June 22, 1995.   BIBLIOGRAPHY BAILEY D. W., The Figurines of Old Europe, in The Lost World of Old Europe: The Danube Valley, 5000-3500 B.C., New York, 2010, pp. 113-127. Cucuteni - Trypillya: A Great Civilization of Old Europe, Rome, 2008, pp. 122-123, no. R186 and R190, p. 182, no. U86 (terracotta figurines). DRASOVEAN F. et al., L’art néolithique en Roumanie, Olten, 2008, p. 127, nos. 78-79, p. 212, no. 96 (anthropomorphic vase). TODOROVA K., The Eneolithic period in Bulgaria in the fifth millennium B.C., Oxford, 1978. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520444771173-0J9EDXGA1BERLKE5STA1/34487-4.jpg Works of Art This artfully modeled miniature figure and its ancient pedestal are a true masterpiece of Roman bronze cast and inlay work. The composition presents the infant Hercules in his natural attitude: as he is walking, the right leg steps forward, the body receives a slight torsion, and the head is turned to its right following the general direction of movement. The position of the arms is similarly coordinated: the left arm is bent to hold the long lion’s skin (leontis) while the right, slightly bent, is extended and held the now missing attribute, the club. Both these attributes, as well as the three apples in his left palm, define the person as Hercules and remind us of the first and the eleventh labor from his future twelve deeds, the slaying of the Nemean lion and the stealing of the golden apples of immortality from the Garden of Hesperides.   The proportions and chubby forms of the infantine body (puffy hands, cheeks, lower abdomen, and hips) are skillfully studied and rendered, and an ultimate precision was given to shape the details of the baby’s anatomy such as the fingers with tiny nails, genitalia, his parted lips, small nostrils, thin eyelids and short locks of hair. The paws of the leontis are tied into a double knot, known as “the Hercules knot”. Several miniature and almost invisible hatchings indicate the hair on the lion’s face. The long curving locks of the leontis are remarkable features as well: arranged in a few vertical rows, each of them is carefully modeled exposing the chased strands. When seen from the back, the work produces the most impressive decorative effect based on the shine of the highly polished and smooth surfaces and the chiaroscuro of the individually modeled locks. The coloristic treatment is enriched by using silver to indicate the eye whites with deep holes in the centers to constitute the pupils; thus, the color, light and shadow create an expressive gaze, upward and to the right. More silver was formerly inlayed for the two canines of the lion over the Hercules’ forehead.   It is worth noting that the figure is a solid cast installed on a hollow circular base. The shape of the latter is akin to the round altars originating from the late Classical period and has a similar architectural structure. The cylindrical body is topped with a molding of small beads over an egg and dart pattern. The lower band is bell-shaped and worked with an engraved kymation of acanthus leaves placed between bands of small beads. The cylinder is decorated by an inlayed ornament of eight-petaled rosettes which are linked by diamonds flanked by horizontal lines. This elaborate pattern of contrasting dark niello and shining silver increase the decorative effect and link the figure’s support to a jewelry box.   Heracles has important infancy myths (one of them tells of his struggle with snakes sent to his cradle by the jealous wife of Zeus, Hera), and his representations as a baby became characteristic for Hellenistic art and remained popular in Roman marble sculpture, wall paintings, and bronze figurines. It could be that the iconography of the child’s figure with pathetic gaze, supplied with the attributes of the adult hero had a special meaning of supreme human skills and strength. This statuette could be equally made for a wealthy patron who used it in his home shrine, lararium, and a connoisseur who would appreciate the perfection of sculptural modeling and exquisite decorative qualities of work.   CONDITION Excellent preservation with a beautiful dark green patina; a few missing parts (club, two teeth and the right jaw of the lion’s skin, some of the inlays on the pedestal); no restoration or repairs.   PROVENANCE Ex- William Herbert Hunt collection; Sotheby's New York, 19 June 1990, Lot 40; Ex- US private collection.   EXHIBITED Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, June 25 - September 18, 1983; Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, October 19 - December 11, 1983; Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, February 1 - March 22, 1984; Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, April 25 - June 10, 1984; High Museum, Atlanta, December 10, 1985 - February 9, 1986   PUBLISHED Von Bothmer, Dietrich, et al., Wealth of the Ancient World: The Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt Collections. Fort Worth, 1983, catalogue, no. 41; Sotheby's New York, 19 June 1990, Lot 40 BIBLIOGRAPHY HILL D., Ancient Representations of Heracles as a Baby, in Gazette des Beaux Arts 36, 1948, pp. 193ff. VERMEULE C.C., Greek and Roman Sculpture in America, Berkeley, Los Angeles, London, 1981, p. 182, no. 149. VON BOTHMER D., et al., Wealth of the Ancient World: The Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt Collections, Fort Worth, 1983, pp. 12-123, no. 41. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520445027238-8091SMYDPI02N2PSG0VA/swh16_1993a.jpg Works of Art Figurines of sitting, standing or reclining females with over-exaggerated, voluminous shapes (especially of buttocks, breasts, and bellies) are characteristic for the Neolithic culture and found in many areas of the Near East, the greater Mediterranean area, and also in Eastern, Central and Western Europe. They vary greatly in style (with a more naturalistic or schematic approach in modeling the body, head and facial features) and material: commonly executed in baked clay, they can also be of white or grey marble, semi-translucent alabaster, or colored stones.   Both the sophistication and distinctive level of abstraction define this idol as exceptional. Its relatively large size, skillfully designed composition, harmonious proportions, and beauty of its rounded shapes are all a testament to the quality of the craftsmanship. The entire composition is built as a contrast of the upper and lower parts. The upper part has rather schematic and flattened volumes (head/neck, shoulders/arms, torso) which are positioned symmetrically and almost similar in size. The arms with spread rectangular shoulders are bent at a right angle so that the forearms create an exact parallel. The forearms are narrowing to a point that may suggest the hands of the idol which otherwise are not shaped individually. The unique shape of the forearms/hands was probably necessary for the accentuation of a gesture which points to the breasts, clearly positioned and seen as two small semi-spherical knobs (this gesture is in a great contrast to the so-called gesture of modesty in later Greek and Roman figures of the nude Aphrodite).   The tapering narrow torso echoes the combined shape of the neck/head. The manner of the ancient sculptor is based on the minimalistic approach for the anatomical detailing. The eyes were shaped by two oblique cuts to pre-baked clay. The prominently sculptured nose dominates the face. The hair, ears, and mouth are not indicated at all. Interestingly, the same modeling is found in both soft clay and hard marble figurines, so the lack of details as a characteristic was not due to the difficulties and limitations of sculptor’s tools and materials, but was a deliberate choice.   The lower part of the “idol” is distinguished by corpulent forms of hips, buttocks, and thighs with significantly diminished lower legs and omitted feet. Again, the shape unifies the parts and creates exaggerated and purely abstract forms, to which are not lacking a sense of sexual beauty (noticeable is the line separating the left and right legs which starts at the top of the pubic area and continues to the buttocks).   The “idol” has considerable tactile appeal and was apparently designed to be handled. One does not exclude the opportunity that such figures were manipulated in some way during certain public or private rituals and ceremonies. Similar statuettes, both of stone and clay, were discovered in shrines and houses. It is generally assumed that the steatopygous form relates such figures to the fertility goddess, the Great Mother, whose cult was primary in the religion of the early human civilization. She was considered as Mistress of life and death for human, animal, and vegetation.   CONDITION Excellent state of preservation; complete except for the damaged tip of the proper left leg; surface weathered and worn; a few cracks, chips and dents, small hole in the back of the proper right leg.   PROVENANCE Ex- H.J.B. private collection, Chicago; Ex- Prominent US private collection, New York, collection assembled 1970s- 1990s. BIBLIOGRAPHY BAILEY D., Prehistoric Figurines Representation and Corporality in the Neolithic, London, New York, 2005. BAILEY D. W., The Figurines of Old Europe, in ANTHONY D. W., ed., The Lost World of Old Europe: The Danube Valley, 5000-3500 BC, New York, Princeton, Oxford, 2010, pp. 113-127, p. 229, nos. 18. COHEN C., La femme des origins: image de la femme dans la préhistoire occidentale, Paris, 2003. GETZ-GENTILE P., Personal Styles in Early Cycladic Sculpture, Madison, 2001, pp. 1-6, p. 173, pl. 1, figs. a1-3. GIMBUTAS M. et al., Achilleion, A Neolithic Settlement in Thessaly, Greece, Los Angeles, 1989. LESURE R. G., Interpreting Ancient Figurines: Context, Comparison, and Prehistoric Art, Cambridge, 2011. LIGABUE G., ROSSI-OSMIDA G., eds., Dea Madre, Milan, 2007. MINA M., Anthropomorphic Figurines from the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Aegean: Gender Dynamics and Implications of Early Aegean Prehistory, Oxford, 2008. PAPATHANASSOPOULOS G., ed., Neolithic Culture in Greece, Athens, 1996, p. 293, no. 188; p. WEINBERS S. S., Anthropomorphic Stone Figurines from Neolithic Greece, in THIMME J., ed., Art and Culture in the Cyclades in the Third Millennium B.C., Chicago, London, 1977, pp. 52-58, 208-218, 415-424, nos. 1-21. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520445304901-LJBB063WC6ZAJK3XGU18/SC17489-3w.jpg Works of Art This incredibly fine Graeco-Roman bronze statuette of a woman possesses a strength of presence and exudes a sense of regal bearing far beyond what would be considered proportionate to her size. She is fully modeled in the round with great care taken to render the sensuous, softly clinging drapery of her dress, and her beautiful face is modeled after the Classical standards of idealized female beauty.   The figure steps forward with her right foot, showing a bent, well-articulated knee, and supports her weight on her straight back leg. Her shoulders tilt ever so slightly with the motion, and her head is also turned to the right, her posture completely in harmony with her movements.   The female figure represented, probably an image of a goddess used for private devotions, is dressed in a long, flowing, sleeveless chiton over which is draped a himation fastened at the shoulders by two circular fibulae. The falling fabric is expertly executed, allowing the soft curves of her body to show. On the chest especially, the effect of the thin drapery of the cowl neck is wholly convincing, an illusion that reveals the hand of a master sculptor. The amount of detail devoted to this piece is exceptional: the contrast of the subtler, shallow folds with the dramatic relief of the mass of drapery down her back. Even the feet, shown wearing delicately strapped thong sandals with oval studs or medallions decorating the instep, are meticulously cast with well-delineated toes and miniscule toenails.   The goddess’s body is also idealized: slender with long legs, a high chest, and slightly rounded, narrow shoulders with a long, straight neck on top of which she carries her head with noble bearing. Her face is oval shaped with soft, feminine features: high cheekbones, a rounded chin and a small, full-lipped mouth set in the typical “cupid’s bow”. Her pronounced, arched brows frame wide, heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes that stare out with an inscrutable, dignified look. The pupils are hollowed out, allowing the play of light and shadow on her face to create a truly arresting gaze.   The low forehead is framed by the elegant and meticulously incised coiffure. The thick, wavy tresses are parted down the middle and held in place by a solid, crescent-shaped crown appliquéd in the front with a central, silvered rosette flanked by two additional rosettes, now lost. The hair in front of the crown is pulled to the sides in long, thick waves that partially cover the ears, the higher degree of relief creating a more volumetric, heavy look than that of the hair at the crown and back of the head, which is also wavy but modeled closer to the skull for a smoother look. The ends of the tresses are pulled into a low, thick chignon at the base of the neck. A small, shallow hole at the crown of the head may have been used to attach a fabric veil, completing this regal portrait of a goddess.   CONDITION The statuette is in excellent condition, completely intact except for the arms, which are often lost on ancient statuary as they were cast separately. The surface has a rich, hard, smooth patina that fades from dark brown to various shades of light and dark green and gold. The base of the bronze is outfitted with a metal tang for mounting (19th century).   PROVENANCE Formerly, Jules Charvet collection (1824-1882), Château du Donjon, Le Pecq, France; Ex- Julien Gréau collection, acquired between 1866 and 1878, Troyes, France; Hôtel Drouot, Paris, Collection Julien Gréau. Catalogue des bronzes antiques et des objets d'art du Moyen-âge et de la Renaissance, 1-9 June 1885, no 935   EXHIBITED Musée rétrospectif, Palais de l'Industrie, Champs-Elysées, Paris, 1865; L’Exposition Universelle Internationale, Palais du Trocadéro, Paris, 1 May - 10 November 1878 ; Hôtel Drouot, Collection Julien Gréau. Catalogue des bronzes antiques et des objets d'art du Moyen-âge et de la Renaissance, Paris, 1-9 June, 1885, no 935. PUBLISHED Palais de l'industrie, Musée rétrospectif, Catalogue, Fascicule 2, Paris, 1865, p. 7, no. 66. LENORMANT F., Les antiques à l’exposition retrospective des Champs-Élysées, in Gazette des Beaux Arts 20, February 1866, pp. 167 – 186 (illustrated); LENORMANT F., Books and monuments bearing upon figured representations of Antiquity, in The Contemporary Review XXXIII, London, Sept. 1878, 849. RAYET O.,L'art grec au Trocadéro, in L'Art Ancien à l'exposition de 1878, Paris 1879, pp. 75-76, illus. p. 70. DE BEAUMONT E. et al., Exposition universelle de 1878, in Les Beaux-arts et les arts décoratifs 2, Paris, 1879, pp. 70 (illustrated), 75, 77; Collection Julien Gréau, Catalogue des bronzes antiques et des objets d'art du Moyen-âge et de la Renaissance, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, June 1st - 9th, 1885, no 935, pl. XXVII; WIESLER F., Archäologische Excurse zu Pausinias, I,24,3I, et I, 27,8, in Nachrichten von der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften und der Goerg-August-Universität, 1886, p. 45. SITTL K., Archäologie der Kunst, Munich, 1895, p.237, note 18. REINACH S., Répertoire de la Statuaire Grecque et Romaine 2, Paris, 1898 & 1908, p. 333, no. 1. Sotheby’s New York, 10 December 2008, Lot 34 (back cover).   BIBLIOGRAPHY In Pursuit of the Absolute Art of the Ancient World: from the George Ortiz Collection, Berne, 1994, no 141. KOZLOFF A. P. & MITTEN D. G., The God’s Delight: The Human Figure in Classical Bronze, Cleveland Museum of Art, 1988. REINACH S., Répertoire de la Statuaire Grecque et Romaine 2, Paris, 1898 & 1908, p. 333, no. 1. RIDGWAY B. S., Fifth Century Styles in Greek Sculpture, Princeton, 1981. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520445573102-8JHR0N93BZCE16KGISV0/SC19832-8.jpg Works of Art This garnet, sculpted in the shape of a shallow convex dish, is extraordinary both by its size and the purity of the stone. It is carefully and finely engraved on both sides. A large cross with long arms covers most of the exterior surface. The extremities of the Cross’ arms worked as two commas circling a large pearl. The letters IC XC (Iesos Chrestos) are engraved on either side of the Cross. The standing figures of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, draped in a mantle, are acclaiming on either side of the Cross. Peter carries a long shafted cross, whilst Paul is recognizable ichnographically: an ascetic man, with a long beard and a bold skull.   The interior of the vessel is occupied by a figure of Christ, standing on a scabellum (a small stool) drawn in perspective, and holding a book in his left hand. He wears a long tunic and a draped mantle on his shoulders. The right arm is covered by the mantle, thus preventing the familiar benediction gesture. The Christ is bearded and his long hair falls down upon his neck. A cross shaped halo surrounds his head.   A clever visual effect was devised by the artist with the interior side directed towards the light, and Christ appearing on the cross on the exterior. However, this visual effect is not active in the reverse; indeed, when looking through the interior, the cross is simply not visible behind Christ.   Stylistically, this figure of Christ can be assimilated to several other examples in glyptic works from the 9th and 10th century, such as the so-called ‘Anne’ double faced intaglio, at the Cabinet des Médailles, in Paris (Babelon 338). Indeed, the image of Christ is represented in the same way, in the same attitude, but surrounded by Deesis (the Virgin and John the Baptist). Yet, another similar standing figure of Christ is also attested on an amethyst cameo from the Dumbarton Oaks collection (inv. 53.7).   Nonetheless, one should not discard an earlier dating for this work of art, notably due to the subject matter on the exterior side of the vessel (the acclamation of the Cross by Peter and Paul). It is in fact rare to encounter it in 10th century Byzantine iconography. However, it is featured on a magnificent agate intaglio from the Wavel collection (Krakow, Poland, inv. IX 2607), which dates from the 5th- 7th century A.D. This is one of the finest and best kept intaglios from this period; the bust of Christ tops a large cross surrounded by a Greek inscription which reads: “Emmanuel”. Saint Peter and Saint Paul stand on either side acclaiming the Cross.   The usage of such stone in this peculiar shape is also quite unique. A narrow ridge on the exterior rim of the vessel is proof that a second element could have been fitted onto the dish, thus enabling it to close, and creating a hermetically sealed space on the inside.   The shape, the iconography of the piece, as well the usage of the garnet all point to a very particular and rare vessel. It is probably a dish that contained the holy-chrism (myron in the Oriental Church). This holy oil is used to mark the believers during Baptism, Confirmation (Unction in the East) and the ordination of Priests and Bishops. It is composed of pure olive oil, to which balsam (a substance extracted from a tree in Judea and Arabia) is added.   CONDITION Entirely preserved; chips on the interior border to the left of Christ.   PROVENANCE Formerly, Simkovic collection, collected in the 1970’s.   BIBLIOGRAPHY DURAND J. et al., Byzance, l’art byzantin dans les collections publiques françaises, Paris, 1992, n° 184. SPIER J., Late Antique and Early Christian Gems, Wiesbaden, 2007, nos. 575, 576. GRIGG R., The Cross and Bust Image: some tests of a recent explanation, in Byzantinische Zeitschrift 72, 1979. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520444159776-YGYLJT70EPAFAWZ8E0BE/1491410596-34769-1w.jpg Works of Art This portrait of a Roman man is most impressive for the appearance of sculptural richness which characterizes the Roman portraiture of the Flavian period, and notably the time of the emperor Titus (79-81 A.D.) and his younger brother and successor Domitian (81-96 A.D.). The man’s shoulders are wrapped in a cloak, paludamentum, fastened by a circular clasp, fibula, at the right side. The marble fibula is incised with lines which are radiating from a small circle, probably reflecting the decoration of an originally enameled bronze or gold disk. The cloak with fibula often seen on the portraits of emperors was also worn by Roman military commanders. It well could be that the portraited person was an important Roman of high military rank. One can not miss the expression of self-assurance and dignity that accompany the prominently carved features and carefully arranged curly hair, which were all appropriate for the portarits of the emperors and court members. The realistic rendering of his individual traits is quite remarkable. The large, life-size head represents a man who is no longer young as many deep forrows crossing his forehead and face specify; however, the full shapes and determined look would indicate him as a healthy and energetic person. His face has a pronounced dimpled chin, pressed lips flanked by deep folds, knobby nose, small and closely-set eyes under the heavy lids, a wart next to his right eye, a knitted and furrow brow and the ears positioned differently - the right one is seen protruding while the left is pressed. This natural asymmetry brings liveliness to the face; the man’s straightforward and demanding gaze attracts the viewer. The thick eyebrows are detailed by incision lines, same is characteristic for the hair locks with additional drilling (also drilled are the eyes’ inner canti). The short hair is brushed forward from the top of the head, the strands above the forehead and temples are much longer creating a crown of curly locks; such a male hair style is characteristic for the late Flavian period and found in the portraits of both the emperors Titus and Domitian, even surpassing them in sculptural plasticity. Another unique quality of this portrait is the original bust’s shape which is not often entirely preserved among ancient portraits. It was designed as a head with partially shaped shoulders and chest set on a low circular base. The composition of the head and the bust are slightly asymmetrical: the axis is shifted off the base’s center, and the base looks small in relation to the upper portion. Yet, the head is turned to its right thus balancing the masses of stone on the sides. Another interesting feature is revealed in the modeling of the bust’s back: the curving lines of the cloak’s folds continuing from the front over the left shoulder, as well as the groove of the upper edge of the base, are left unfinished behind leaving the entire surface of the back flat and roughly chiseled. This shows that the bust was made to be installed against the wall, most probably inside a niche, judging by the very low socle. The nape is also flat; however, the toolmarks indicate that this area was once developed: the unavailable part from the original block of marble was carved separately and attached to the surface by inserted iron pins (piecing was a regular practice in the Greek and Roman technique of stone carving). Considering the profile of the back side, one can assume that the bust would have been installed in a concave, shell-shaped niche. Such kinds of niches are known being set into the wall between relief panels with garlands and pilasters in important Roman monumental structures dedicated to private worship of family ancestors. CONDITION Complete except for the separately carved nape which is missing; the latter was originally attached with the help of three irons pins, still in place and corroded. Surface is weathered and has some encrustation and root marks. A few fractures, on top of the head, another crossing the right cheek and ear. A small dent on the left cheek; a chip on the left ear. A piece of the cloak and base at the lower front was broken and mended. PROVENANCE Ex- Plaza Art Galleries, Inc., New York, prior 1976; Ex- Piero Tozzi Gallery, New York, acquired in 1976. PUBLISHED Sotheby's, New York, European Works of Art, January 12th-15th, 1991, no. 48, illus. BIBLIOGRAPHY On Flavian Period portraits, see: COMSTOCK M.B., VERMEULE C.C., Sculpture in Stone, The Greek, Roman and Etruscan Collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston, 1976, pp. 216-218, nos. 344-346. JOHANSEN F., Catalogue Roman Portraits II, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhague, 1995, pp. 88-91, nos. 31-32. KERSAUSON K. de, Musée du Louvre, Catalogue des portraits romains: Tome II, De l’année de la guerre civile (68-69 après J.-C.) à la fin de l’Empire, Paris, 1996, pp. 62-65, nos. 22-23. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1549982111251-3H2HR6AIWZJSRZ4VMJ1V/17055-1a.jpg Works of Art In ancient Egypt, the domestic cat embodied the qualities of the goddess Bastet, who was associated with female sexuality and fertility and often depicted surrounded by a litter of kittens. Bastet, whose cult seems to have emerged as early as the Second Dynasty, was closely linked to the kingship by the Old Kingdom, acting as the royal nurse in the Pyramid Texts. Despite her generally benevolent nature, Bastet revealed her more feral and aggressive traits in her role as the daughter of the sun god, Re, in which she was charged with killing his nemesis, the serpent Apophis. At the end of the second millennium BC, the large-scale donation of ex-votos by private individuals became increasingly popular within the cults of certain deities, peaking during the Ptolemaic Period. These votives included bronze statuettes and mummified sacred animals. A variety of creatures, including cats, were bred, mummified, and presented as offerings in temples before being interred in special catacombs. The mummies were usually buried in two types of coffins: either a narrow box that held a figure of the animal on the lid or a container in the shape of the animal itself. The size of this superlative head suggests that it most likely came from the latter type of coffin or a votive figure, which would have depicted a cat seated upright with its front paws together and its tail curled around its body. The broad, elegantly modeled face has an incised mouth and whiskers, while engraved pupils, carefully detailed eyelids, and inner canthi distinguish the eyes. The tall ears turn slightly forward, giving an appearance of alert attention. A deep groove runs down the outer edge of each ear, with incised parallel lines along the inner edge representing fine hairs. A gold earring adorns the proper left ear. During the Late and Ptolemaic periods, bronze was an especially popular medium for votive figures such as this cat, due to the ease with which they could be mass produced. Throughout Egyptian history, bronze figures were assembled from separately manufactured components. These elements were usually hollow-cast using wax models. Single-piece castings became increasingly common after the Third Intermediate Period due to the preference for simpler forms and the development of more fluid alloys. CONDITION Complete, in excellent condition, minor chips (lower neck, left ear especially). A gold earring adorns the left ear. PROVENANCE Ex- Mr. & Mrs. Leo S. Bing collection, USA, collected in the 1920’s -1940’s; Sotheby’s New York, 14 December 1994, lot 17. PUBLISHED Sotheby’s New York, 14 December 1994, lot 17; Art of the two Lands, Egypt from 4000 B.C. to 1000 A.D., New York, 2006, pp. 118-119, 200, no. 39. BIBLIOGRAPHY GUICHARD H., ed., Des animaux et des pharaons. Le règne animal dans l’Égypte ancienne, Lens, 2014, pp. 294 ff. LETELLIER B et al., Les animaux dans l’Egypte ancienne, Lyon, 1977, pp. 43 ff. PAGE-GASSER M., WIESE A.B., Egypte. Moments d’éternité. Art égyptien dans les collection privées, Suisse, Mainz/Rhine, 1997, pp. 276-277. SCOTT N. E., The Cat of Bastet, in Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 17, 2, 1958, p. 3. WILKINSON R. H., The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, London, 2003, pp. 177-178. 17055 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1549982830897-OUY5C2RZB3PD6FSHETXG/1474309766-32288-1.jpg Works of Art https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1560537070135-26X4X4AWECQ9ZO6OAV5E/SC26741.jpg Works of Art https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1563547282856-HDZV4GG0FTJ69F3Q2W9M/Cycladic+Marble+head-35362-1w.jpg Works of Art This lyre-shaped head gives an explicit example of the design and style of the Bronze Age Greek sculpture. Sculpted almost as an abstract form, with features essentially omitted, the piece is fully recognizable as a human head by a slightly rounded chin and a prominent arching nose. The piece preserved the flaring neck and is a fragment of the entire figure whose composition is usually described as reclining. Similar figures constitute the group of Cycladic “idols” which depict a nude female standing upright, with legs slightly bent, arms clasped on the belly, and the head tilted backwards. This piece belongs to the so-called Late “Spedos” variety, which represents the highest level of prehistoric Cycladic sculpture towards the middle of the 3rd millennium B.C.. Nowadays, prehistoric Cycladic art is famous mostly for these statuettes, whose design is both simple and attractive. Despite the strong beauty and seductive power they convey to the modern artistic taste, these figurines still keep many secrets, since their real purpose remains unknown. These “idols” (which come almost exclusively from necropolises, when the location of their discovery is known) have been successively seen as concubines for the deceased, mourners, substitutes for human sacrifices, nurses for the deceased, representations of revered ancestors, toys to be taken to the afterlife, or figures enabling or helping the transition to the afterlife, etc.; other scholars connect them with the Great Mother, a goddess of procreation and fertility, worshiped from the Neolithic in the Near East, in Anatolia and in Central Europe. Behind their remarkable unity of style, these statuettes probably hide various purposes that cannot be clearly understood today. According to P. Getz-Gentle, recent studies on their polychrome decoration allow us to attribute to them a more active role than previously thought: these figures would probably have embodied a protective being, definitely feminine and maternal (related to a sort of a patron saint), who commanded natural phenomena and events that were most often inexplicable to the ancients: the cycle of life, the astronomical phenomena, the seasonal cycle and the fertility of the land, the sea, etc. Other scholars think, on comparing the role played by some divine representations in other civilizations that these Cycladic statuettes would have played an intermediary role between the believer/owner of the “idol” and the deity, like a kind of medium allowing, at certain stages of life, humans to enter into contact with a superior being. PROVENANCE C. Dikran Kelekian Ancient Arts, New York; G.L. collection, New York, October 22, 1965, with original invoice. 35362 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1564415154856-3AAMRPTNRCWKM9DLCLE9/Calder_Charming_High.jpg Works of Art Charming 1974 Gouache and ink on paper 73.6 cm × 109.2 cm (29 in × 43 in) Signed and dated lower right 'Calder 74' PROVENANCE Galerie Maeght, Paris Martin Lawrence Galleries, Los Angeles (1976) Amalia Ricciardi (around 1981) Private collection (by descent from the above, 2003) Christie's, New York, 22 July 2015, lot 3 Private collection, Europe EXPERTISE The work is registered in the archives of the Calder Foundation, New York, under application no. A12782 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1564415410582-FMJEK38MU24TT2JZZMZG/Albers+_Homage+to+the+Square+1962_High.jpg Works of Art Homage to the Square 1962 Oil on masonite 45.7 cm × 45.7 cm (18 in × 18 in) Monogrammed and dated lower right 'A62' PROVENANCE Galerie Denise René, Paris Private collection, Italy (acquired from the above) Christie's, Paris, 7 June 2017, lot 6 Private collection, UK (acquired from the above) EXPERTISE The work is registered in the archive of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Bethany, Connecticut PUBLISHED The work will be included in the forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné being prepared by the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1564415580612-4VFE4DUUA0Y47Y75HIJO/Klee_BildnisinderLaube_High1.jpg Works of Art Bildnis in der Laube 1930 Watercolour and gouache on paper, on cardboard 31 cm × 24.3 cm (57.5 cm × 46.4 cm), 12.2 × 9.6 in. (22.6 × 18.3 in.) Signed upper left 'Klee' Inscribed on the cardboard left below '1930. 7.' – below right 'Bildnis in der Laube' - below left with pencil 'VIII' PROVENANCE Alfred Flechtheim, Dusseldorf (until 1931) Daniel Henry Kahnweiler, Paris, The Mayor Gallery, London (until 1935) Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., London (1966) Saidenberg Gallery, Inc., New York (since 1969) Gallery Athénée AG, Triesenberg Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., New York (1989) Christie's, New York, 5 May 2010, lot 229 Private collection, Europe EXHIBITED Düsseldorf, Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen in Zusammenarbeit mit Alfred Flechtheim, Paul Klee, 14 June - 6 July 1931, no. 222 London, The Mayor Gallery, Paul Klee, June 1935, no. 5. London, Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., Painters of the Bauhaus, March - April 1962, no. 136 (illustrated) London, Marlborough Fine Art Ltd., Paul Klee, June - July 1966, no. 37 (illustrated) New York, Saidenberg Gallery, Paul Klee: A Retrospective Exhibition, 14 October - 29 November 1969, no. 34 (illustrated) PUBLISHED Paul Klee Foundation and the Kunstmuseum Bern (eds.), Paul Klee, Catalogue Raisonné, vol. 5: 1927-1930, Bern 2001, p. 414, no. 5123 (illustrated) Boris Friedewald, Paul Klee, Life and Work, New York 2011, p. 146 (illustrated in colour) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1564415821131-L76NEZM9060GO1KPVFFZ/Leger_La+Fleur_High.jpg Works of Art La Fleur 1938 Oil on canvas 41 cm × 26.8 cm (16.1 in × 10.6 in) Signed and dated lower right 'F. Leger. 38' PROVENANCE Galerie Louise Leiris (Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler), Paris Private collection, Stockholm Marisa Del Re Gallery, Inc., New York Private collection, USA (acquired from the above in 1994) EXHIBITED Stockholm, Svensk-Franska Konstgalleriet, Retrospectiv Utstälning Fernand Léger, 21 May - 30 June 1948, no. 32 PUBLISHED Georges Bauquier, Fernand Léger, Catalogue Raisonné de l'oeuvre peint, vol. 6: 1938-1943, Paris 1998, p. 14, no. 979 (illustrated in color p. 15) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1564416026867-JAKP1YS7WCCS27H62DZ2/Jawlensky_Helle+erscheinung_High.jpg Works of Art Helle Erscheinung 1916 Oil on linen-finish paper laid down on cardboard 50.4 cm × 32.5 cm (19.8 in × 12.8 in) Signed lower left 'A. Jawlensky' Verso inscribed by Andreas Jawlensky beschrieben "1916 N.6" PROVENANCE Estate of the artist Galerie Wilhelm Grosshennig, Dusseldorf (17 March 1966 acquired from the above) Private collection (1966 acquired from the above) Sotheby's, London, June 1983, lot 49 Private collection Christie's, London, 28 November 1988, lot 43 Private collection Christie's, London, 26 June 1996, Lot 257 Christie's, London, 7 October 1999, lot 118 Private collection, UK (acquired from the above) Private collection, Europe (acquired from the above) EXHIBITED Geneva, Galerie Krugier, A. Jawlensky, February 1963, no. 26 PUBLISHED Clemens Weiler, Alexej Jawlensky, Köpfe, Gesichte, Meditationen, Hanau 1970, probably no. 158 (titelt as 'Blaue Augen, rosa Mund') Maria Jawlensky, Lucia Pieroni Jawlensky, Angelica Jawlensky, Alexej von Jawlensky, Catalogue Raisonné of the Oil Paintings, vol. II: Werke 1914-1933, Munich 1992, p. 114, no. 736 (illustrated) https://www.electrumartgallery.com/about-electrum-art-gallery-antiquities daily 0.75 2024-07-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1520441494302-WTO9PJBH320TA9J9UGG6/TEFAF+SPRING+2017.jpg About https://www.electrumartgallery.com/fairs-exhibitions daily 0.75 2025-11-21 https://www.electrumartgallery.com/contact-us-electrum-art-gallery-antiquities daily 0.75 2020-12-01 https://www.electrumartgallery.com/museums-institutional-clientelle-antiquities daily 0.75 2022-11-21 https://www.electrumartgallery.com/hicham-aboutaam daily 0.75 2023-03-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5aa0119e4611a057a530b57e/1617819699665-NT00LVNKZ9GMKMERIIQV/img_hicham-aboutaam-01-1-e1617157120484.jpeg Hicham Aboutaam