Antiquities and Ancient Art: A Study

Sale 1035

Live

| Chicago

May 26 | 11:00 AM EDT

Live

| Chicago

Lot 121

Lot 121

A Greek Marble Head of a Lion

Status:

Closed

Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000

Estimate$30,000 – $50,000

Status

Closed

A Greek Marble Head of a Lion

Circa 5th-4th Century B.C.

Height 9 inches (22.9 cm).

Provenance:

The Merrin Gallery, New York.

Private Collection, New York, acquired 9 August 1989 (Inv. no. GR239).

Note:

From mythological stories such as the twelve labors of Hercules to important monuments such as the Temple of Apollo, lions were prevalent in ancient Greek culture, and often symbolized royalty and strength. Here we face a life-size marble head of a lion with intense deep-set eyes, strong muzzle, and muscular mandible. The overall size and conveyed power firmly secure its status as an apex predator. Yet, its facial features are stylized and has a humanlike expression. It is likely this fragment served as part of a statue that would have guarded over the funerary plot of an aristocratic family or marked the entryway to a mausoleum.

Inspected under UV light and 10x loop. Intact as preserved. No obvious restorations. Minor chips and weathering throughout. A few abrasions along the front edge of the snout, mouth, and ears. Overall in very attractive and stable condition.

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Please contact the Auction Specialist for details.

Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

[email protected]312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

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Antiquities and Ancient Art: A Study

A Greek Marble Head of a Lion

Lot Description

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