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Rare Roman Marble Relief Leads Christie'S Auction Of Antiquities

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  • Rare Roman Marble Relief Leads Christie'S Auction Of Antiquities

    RARE ROMAN MARBLE RELIEF LEADS CHRISTIE'S AUCTION OF ANTIQUITIES

    ArtDaily.org
    http://www.artdaily.org/ index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=38038
    May 14 2010

    NEW YORK, NY.- Christie's announced the sale of Antiquities on June
    10, which will offer over 150 lots with a stunning selection of Roman
    marbles, Greek helmets and vases, and Egyptian art. The highlight of
    the sale is a rare Roman marble relief from the Julio-Claudian period,
    circa early 1st century A.D., that depicts the Emperor Tiberius
    standing before a seated Genius with the goddess Concordia between
    them as intermediary. This outstanding Imperial commission, perhaps
    from an altar or other civic monument, is superbly sculpted in high
    relief. Carved with great technical precision the relief combines
    depth and perspective within the limited thickness of the marble slab.

    The sculptor of the relief was an artist of importance and considerable
    skill, one well acquainted with Classical and Hellenistic styles
    of drapery.

    Another notable work is a Roman bronze lamp stand, circa late 1st
    century B.C. (estimate: $800,000-1,200,000). On the base of the lamp
    stand is a figure of a youth, possibly depicting Alexander Helios,
    son of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra VII, in the guise of an Armenian
    prince with his high pyramidal headdress and eastern attire. This
    piece compares to the famous bronze youths, one at the Metropolitan
    Museum of Art and one at the Walters Art Museum.

    The sale also presents a fine Egyptian Diorite Head of an Official,
    Late Period, Dynasty XXX, 380-343 B.C. (estimate: $500,000-700,000).

    This is a skillfully sculpted and superbly polished idealizing head,
    part of a tradition that sought to imbue the individual with eternal
    youth and vigor. The important official represented would only be
    identifiable by the accompanying inscription, here lost. While a
    number of these portrait heads are preserved in museum collections
    in the U.S. and Europe, this example is rare to the market for its
    quality and condition.

    An Egyptian sandstone relief depicting the Pharaoh Ramesses II is also
    featured in the sale, dated to his reign, 1290-1224 B.C. (estimate:
    $100,000-150,000). Here Ramesses is portrayed offering a bolt of cloth
    to a deity. It is likely from a column drum. The Pharaoh is wearing a
    tunic and a short ibes wig with echeloned curls hanging over his ears.

    Only the right arm and was-scepter of the god before him remains. Two
    of Ramesses' five names in cartouches are visible above, and red
    pigment for Ramesses' flesh is well preserved.

    Additional highlights include an incredible Roman marble relief panel
    from the Antonine Period, circa 160 A.D. (estimate: $400,000-600,000),
    depicting a centauromachy with a panorama of a battle scene of nude
    Greek warriors and centaurs, bearded half-equine beasts; a Greek bronze
    helmet of Cretan type, circa 650-620 B.C. (estimate: $350,000-550,000),
    distinguished by the high crest and carefully-incised mythological
    scenes; and an elegant Attic red-figured neck amphora, circa 490-480
    B.C. (estimate: $200,000-300,000), attributed to the Berlin Painter.
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