Lot 44
  • 44

A Roman Bronze Furniture Leg, Circa early 2nd Century A.D.

Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 USD
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Description

  • A Roman Bronze Furniture Leg
  • Bronze
  • Height 7 5/8 in. 19.3 cm.
in the form of a lion leg resting on a frog, the terminal composed of a figure of Eros emerging from a calyx of acanthus leaves, the young god pouring a libation from a vessel in his right hand into a shell in his left, his eyes with indented pupils, a circular hole on the crown of his head.

Provenance

Henry J. Pfungst (1844-1917), F.S.A., 44 Cleveland Square, Hyde, Park, London
Richard W. Norton (1886-1940)
Ernest Brummer, New York, acquired in 1945 (Galerie Koller, Luzern, and Spink & Son, Zurich, The Ernest Brummer Collection, vol. II: Ancient Art, auction at the Grand Hotel Dolder, Zurich, October 16th-19th, no. 566, illus.)

Literature

Exhibition of Ancient Greek Art, catalogue of the exhibition at the Burlington Fine Arts Club, London, 1904, p. 58

Condition

Surface possibly repatinated, surface of frog and foreleg with corrosion, proper right foreleg of frog lacking, scratches/indentations overall on calyx and lower body of Eros, proper right wing slightly bent, tip of proper left wing lacking, calyx and leg appear to have been cast separately.
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.

Catalogue Note

For a closely related example from Pompeii see Società Anonima Chiurazzi, Catalogo, Naples, n.d., no. 603 (Naples Museum, inv. no. 126172). Also see H.B. Walters, Catalogue of the Bronzes, London, 1899, no. 1161, for a related example in the British Museum.