Lot 26
  • 26

A ROMAN MARBLE FIGURE OF THE MUSE ERATO OR TERPSICHORE, CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D. | A Roman Marble Figure of the Muse Erato or Terpsichore

Estimate
150,000 - 250,000 GBP
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Description

  • Total height 74 cm.
leaning on a quadrangular support to her right with the weight on her left leg, and holding a fragmentary kithara atop the support, and wearing sandals, chiton, belted peplos with overfold, and himation fastened with a brooch on her left shoulder, falling over her back down to her feet, and cascading in zigzaging folds at her right side, her head turned slightly to her right, her deeply-drilled wavy hair parted in the center and bound in a chignon; no restorations.

Provenance

Munich art market, in or prior to 1926
Dr Taher Khorassani (1885-1974) collection, Vienna and Munich, acquired prior to July 1957
on consignment to H. Korban Gallery, Hotel Hilton, Vienna, 1970
Austrian private collection, by descent (Christie's, London, October 1st, 2015, no .109, illus.)

Literature

RECORDED Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, photo no. 3604, dated 1926, logged in on June 10th, 1929 (http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/marbilderbestand/821273/, http://arachne.uni-koeln.de/item/buchseite/57165)

PUBLISHED

Korban Art Gallery, Hotel Hilton, Vienna, Catalogue. Greek & Russian Icons. Ancient Art, 1970, no. 201, illus.

Condition

Proper right end of base and lower part of support chipped and abraded; top corner of support chipped; right arm and upper part of kithara fragmentary; losses to proper left fingers; tip of nose lightly abraded; surface slightly worn overall and especially dirty around neck.
"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

A related figure of a muse appears in reverse on a late 2nd-century sarcophagus formerly in the Giustiniani Collection and now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Antikensammlung, inv. no. I 171: M. Wegner, Die Musensarkophage (Die Antiken Sarkophagreliefs, 5.3), 1966, pp. 88f., no. 228, pl. 9b (http://www.khm.at/objektdb/detail/50863/?offset=9&lv=list).