A Blue-Gray Marble Trapezophoros, Roman Imperial, circa 1st Century A.D.

in the form of a herm pillar terminating in the bust of a satyr, his face with long centrally parted wavy beard of voluted curls, long moustache with voluted ends, parted lips, and eyes recessed for inlays under prominent brows, his wavy hair swept up above the forehead and back from the temples.

French private collection, acquired in the 1920s (Christie's, Paris, Collection d'un amateur provenant d'un hôtel particulier de la Rive Gauche, July 2nd, 2008, no. 97, illus.)

good overall and as shown, end of beard broken off, top of hair in front extensively chipped, tip of proper left ear missing, chips along all edges including two larger ones along proper right edge of back pillar, top of head and back pillar freshly abraded and each with hole drilled through, large chip on proper right side of top of back, small nicks and scratches overall, iron rust stains across mid-section, object is cemented into the modern base, area below each shoulder was stippled in antiquity to increase adhesiveness of cement with which the now missing small rectangular arms were fastened
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.

Table legs of this type, in which all the elements (herm shaft, bust, and back pillar) are carved from a single piece of marble, are unusual compared to examples assembled from different pieces of colored marbles; for monolithic examples with related satyr herms, most wearing ivy wreaths, see Chr. Moss., Roman Marble Tables, doctoral diss., Princeton, 1988, Cat. nos. A232 (from Paestum) and A276 (Vatican Museums, Magazzini); for a non-monolithic example with similar bust see Cat. no. A215 (Naples Archaeological Museum, from Pompeii).

For non-monolithic examples of trapezophoroi with various Dionysiac herm busts see J. Ward-Perkins and A. Claridge, Pompeii A.D. 79, Boston and New York, 1978, no. 63, E. Dwyer, Pompeian Domestic Sculpture, Rome, 1982, pl. XLVII, no. 183, and M. de Nuccio and L. Ungaro, eds., Marmi colorati della Roma imperiale, Venice, 2002, nos. 75, 77, and 897. Also see Sotheby's, New York, December 7th, 2005, no. 67.