A Cycladic Marble Figure of a Man, Early Bronze Age I, circa 3200-2700 B.C.

of Plastiras type, lying with his hands resting on his abdomen, with grooved toes, prominent ankles, powerful legs, angular shoulders, prominent collar bones, long tapering neck, and deeply grooved spine, his head with pointed chin, straight mouth with full lips, triangular nose, recessed lozenge-shaped eyes, small semicircular ears, and rounded forehead, remains of red pigment on the neck and face.

Dr. Wladimir Rosenbaum, Galleria Casa Serodine, Ascona, acquired by him from a private collection in Germany in the late 1960s
acquired by the present owner from Galleria Casa Serodine in 1972/1973

J. Thimme, ed., Kunst und Kultur der Kykladeninseln im 3. Jahrtausend v. Chr., catalogue of the exhibition at the Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe, June 25th - October 10th, 1975, Karlsruhe, 1976, no. 72, p. 206, pl. VI (color illus.), p. 233 (B&W illus.), and p. 438 (text)
J. Thimme, ed., Art and Culture of the Cyclades in the Third Millennium B.C., Chicago, 1977, no. 72, p. 204, pl. VI (color illus.), p. 233 (B&W illus.), and pp. 439-440 (text)
Pat Getz-Preziosi, Sculptors of the Cyclades. Individual and Tradition in the Third Millennium B.C., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1987, pp. 20, 23, 37 (fig. 15b), 53, and 245, pl. IB
Pat Getz-Preziosi, "The Male Figure in Early Cycladic Sculpture," Metropolitan Museum Journal, vol. 15, 1980, p. 31, no. 4, figs. 1.4 and 4-5
Pat Getz-Preziosi, Early Cycladic Art in North American Collections, Richmond, Virginia, 1987, p. 53, fig. 24b
P. Sotirakopoulou, "The Early Bronze Age Stone Figurines from Akrotiri on Thera and Their Significance for the Early Bronze Age Settlement," Annual of the British School at Athens, vol. 93, 1998, p. 133, note 153
Pat Getz-Preziosi, Personal Styles in Early Cycladic Sculpture, Madison, Wisconsin, 2001, p. 132, notes 14 and 15, and p. 134, note 43
Gail L. Hoffman, "Painted Ladies: Early Cycladic II Mourning Figures?," American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 106/4, 2002, p. 527, note 17

very good and as shown, back encrusted, surface slightly worn, several scratches on front of neck appear to be ancient, very minor nicks on corners of shoulder and two equally minor nicks on proper right side of neck, end of toes slightly abraded
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

For a related fragmentary Plastiras male figure, most likely by the same sculptor according to Pat Getz-Preziosi (op. cit., 2001, p. 143, no. 43), see P. Sotirakopoulou, op. cit., 1998, no. 6858, fig. 10. and pl. 16.

Before becoming an art dealer in Ascona, Wladimir Rosenbaum (1894-1984) was a successful Zurich lawyer close to Carl Jung, Robert Musil, and avant-garde artistic circles, including the Dadaists. For a biographical account focusing on the period of his first marriage see Peter Kamber, Geschichte zweier Leben. Wladimir Rosenbaum und Aline Valangin, Zurich, 1990.