Lot 16
  • 16

A Roman Marble Figure of Nike, circa 2nd Century A.D.

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 GBP
bidding is closed

Description

  • A Roman Marble Figure of Nike
  • marble
  • Total height 81 cm.; height without plinth 77 cm.
after a Greek original of the 4th Century B.C., wearing a chiton and himation draped across the hips and over her left forearm, two straps across the chest meeting in a central medallion carved in relief with a winged gorgoneion, mortises on the shoulder-blades for insertion of the now missing wings; base and lower legs restored, head and forearms formerly restored.

Provenance

European private collection, 18th Century or earlier (based on restoration techniques)
acquired by the present owners in the 1970s from a gallery on East 57th Street in New York

Condition

Base and lower legs restored, head and forearms formerly restored, now missing. Rectangular loss to the restored lower part below the knee. Triangular chip in central fold above lower crack. Feet are separately carved. Marble plug in mortise hole for wing on proper left shoulder. Various nicks overall, surface consistent with age.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

The torso of the present figure is a reduced-sized and simplified copy of a larger type preserved in several copies, of which only one has its original head (from Oplontis: A. la Regina, ed., Nike. Il gioco e la vittoria, exh. cat. Rome, 2003, p. 208f., no. 35). Two other full-sized examples are in Berlin, Antikensammlung, inv. nos. Sk 226 and 227 (http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/objekt/2207 and http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/objekt/2208) and another reduced-sized example is in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford (C. Vermeule, American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 59, 1955, p. 130, pl. 41,2; http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/objekt/24199).

The Greek original is dated to the early 4th Century B.C. based on stylistic grounds (cf. S. Kansteiner, Pseudoantike Skulptur II, 2017, pp. 47ff.).