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Cahn’s Quarterly 4/2013 6 CQ Animals and Mythical Creatures New Artworks Monthly on www.cahn.ch AN AMULET IN THE SHAPE OF A DOUBLE FISH. L. 6.1 cm. Marble. Oval marble pebble carved in the shape of a double fish. Heads, and back and tail fins are slightly convex, carefully smoothed and offset by sharp contours. The mouths indicated by filed grooves, eyes shallowly drilled. Fine red-brown patina. Intact. Formerly H.A. Cahn, Basle, 1990s. Western Anatolian, late 4th-3rd mill. B.C. CHF 1,800 A FROG AMULET. L. 4.5 cm. Light green faience. He squats on a rectangular base eagerly waiting for a titbit to fly by. The frog was regarded as an animal with re- generative powers. The ancient Egyptians believed that frogs created themselves, before rising out of the mud. Small frog amulets are numerous, but also larger sculp- tures of frogs were made and presented to temples as votive gifts. Surface partially worn. Fine fissures. For- merly Coll. M.A., Paris. Egypt, Late Period, 600-300 B.C. CHF 1,100 A SNAKE SARCOPHAGUS. L. 5 cm. Bronze. Small, rectangular sarcophagus for snake bones. A coiled-up snake with lowered head lies on top of the sarcophagus. A loop in two of the corners. An ancient restoration and a small modern filling on one side of the sarcophagus. Previously London, Sotheby’s, 13 June 1921, part of lot 164. Formerly Coll. Lord Amherst. Egypt, Late Period, 2nd half of 1st mill. B.C. CHF 2,200 A CROUCHING FROG. L. 5 cm. Clay. The frog sits on a fragmentarily preserved plinth. Its body is naturalisti- cally rendered. Pointed head with broad mouth, beady eyes. The skin of the frog is structured by longitudinal grooves. Formerly Coll. Leo Mildenberg. Greek, 4th-3rd cent. B.C. CHF 650 A FRAGMENT OF A FUNERARY INSCRIPTION. H. 19 cm. Limestone. This small fragment was part of a funerary inscription that was written in several vertical columns. The hieroglyphs in sunken relief were painted blue; tra- ces of paint are still visible. The hieroglyphs read, from the top to the bottom: “curl”, “sceptre”, “mountain”, “li- zard” and “bread”. The sense of the text cannot be elu- cidated. Formerly Belgian private coll. Thereafter Mr. M. Formerly Coll. M.M., Paris. Egypt, Late Period, mid-1st mill. B.C. CHF 4,800 A STAMP SEAL WITH ZEBU BULL. H. 5 cm. L. 5 cm. Ste- atite. The square panel is engraved with a zebu bull, with a distinctive dewlap, standing to left. At the top right, an inscription in the not yet deciphered Indus script consis- ting of four characters. On the reverse, an eyelet. Clear glaze, partially flaked off. Eyelet slightly worn. Formerly art market, England. Indus Culture, ca. 2300-1750 B.C. CHF 3,800 A DUCK-SHAPED COSMETIC BOWL. L. 5.6 cm. Agate. The body of the bird forms an ovoid bowl with a wide lip. The eyes, beak, and wings are indicated with finely incised lines. Point of beak slightly curved. Head reat- tached. Formerly art market, England. Levant, 7th-6th cent. B.C. CHF 4,600 AN AMULET WITH SEKHMET ENTHRONED. H. 5 cm. Light blue faience, details in dark blue. The lion-headed goddess wears a close-fitting dress and holds a naos sistrum in her right hand. Her face and mane are ren- dered in much detail. She is seated on an open-work throne with a low backrest. The throne is decorated with a representation of Nehebkau, a snake-shaped god of protection, and a bow. Left arm missing. Back- rest and base slightly worn. Formerly Coll. F. Schwarz, Canton Zurich. Egypt, Late Period, 26th-30th Dynasty, 500–300 B.C. CHF 3,600

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Page 1: Animals and Mythical Creatures New Artworks Monthly on www ... · Animals and Mythical Creatures New Artworks Monthly on AN AMULET IN THE SHAPE OF A DOUBLE FISH. L. 6.1 cm. Marble

Cahn’s Quarterly 4/2013

6 CQ

Animals and Mythical Creatures New Artworks Monthlyon www.cahn.ch

AN AMULET IN THE SHAPE OF A DOUBLE FISH. L. 6.1 cm. Marble. Oval marble pebble carved in the shape of a double fish. Heads, and back and tail fins are slightly convex, carefully smoothed and offset by sharp contours. The mouths indicated by filed grooves, eyes shallowly drilled. Fine red-brown patina. Intact. Formerly H.A. Cahn, Basle, 1990s. Western Anatolian, late 4th-3rd mill. B.C. CHF 1,800

A FROG AMULET. L. 4.5 cm. Light green faience. He squats on a rectangular base eagerly waiting for a titbit to fly by. The frog was regarded as an animal with re-generative powers. The ancient Egyptians believed that frogs created themselves, before rising out of the mud. Small frog amulets are numerous, but also larger sculp-tures of frogs were made and presented to temples as votive gifts. Surface partially worn. Fine fissures. For-merly Coll. M.A., Paris. Egypt, Late Period, 600-300 B.C. CHF 1,100

A SNAKE SARCOPHAGUS. L. 5 cm. Bronze. Small, rectangular sarcophagus for snake bones. A coiled-up snake with lowered head lies on top of the sarcophagus. A loop in two of the corners. An ancient restoration and a small modern filling on one side of the sarcophagus. Previously London, Sotheby’s, 13 June 1921, part of lot 164. Formerly Coll. Lord Amherst. Egypt, Late Period, 2nd half of 1st mill. B.C. CHF 2,200

A CROUCHING FROG. L. 5 cm. Clay. The frog sits on a fragmentarily preserved plinth. Its body is naturalisti-cally rendered. Pointed head with broad mouth, beady eyes. The skin of the frog is structured by longitudinal grooves. Formerly Coll. Leo Mildenberg. Greek, 4th-3rd cent. B.C. CHF 650

A FRAGMENT OF A FUNERARY INSCRIPTION. H. 19 cm. Limestone. This small fragment was part of a funerary inscription that was written in several vertical columns. The hieroglyphs in sunken relief were painted blue; tra-ces of paint are still visible. The hieroglyphs read, from the top to the bottom: “curl”, “sceptre”, “mountain”, “li-zard” and “bread”. The sense of the text cannot be elu-cidated. Formerly Belgian private coll. Thereafter Mr. M. Formerly Coll. M.M., Paris. Egypt, Late Period, mid-1st mill. B.C. CHF 4,800

A STAMP SEAL WITH ZEBU BULL. H. 5 cm. L. 5 cm. Ste-atite. The square panel is engraved with a zebu bull, with a distinctive dewlap, standing to left. At the top right, an inscription in the not yet deciphered Indus script consis-ting of four characters. On the reverse, an eyelet. Clear glaze, partially flaked off. Eyelet slightly worn. Formerly art market, England. Indus Culture, ca. 2300-1750 B.C. CHF 3,800

A DUCK-SHAPED COSMETIC BOWL. L. 5.6 cm. Agate. The body of the bird forms an ovoid bowl with a wide lip. The eyes, beak, and wings are indicated with finely incised lines. Point of beak slightly curved. Head reat-tached. Formerly art market, England. Levant, 7th-6th cent. B.C. CHF 4,600

AN AMULET WITH SEKHMET ENTHRONED. H. 5 cm. Light blue faience, details in dark blue. The lion-headed goddess wears a close-fitting dress and holds a naos sistrum in her right hand. Her face and mane are ren-dered in much detail. She is seated on an open-work throne with a low backrest. The throne is deco rated with a representation of Nehebkau, a snake-shaped god of protection, and a bow. Left arm missing. Back-rest and base slightly worn. Formerly Coll. F. Schwarz,

Canton Zurich. Egypt, Late Period, 26th-30th Dynasty, 500–300 B.C. CHF 3,600

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A MATRIX WITH A FIGURE OF A LION. H. 10.4 cm. Fine light clay. A lion strides aggressively to left, tail upright and head outstretched with mouth open in a roar. Pow-erful head and shoulder mane. Slight chipping. Formed from a positive stamp (patrix). Formerly French art mar-ket, 2003. Neo-Assyrian, 7th cent. B.C. CHF 7,800

AN APPLIQUE WITH A PANTHER ATTACKING A RAM. L. 9.1 cm. Sheet bronze, open-work. The panther faces left, the head of the ram in its wide-open jaws. Curved horns. Powerful representation of the panther. Joints and curves of the body rendered by engraved hatching and lozenges. Long tail with curled tip. Reverse concave. Intact. Formerly French private coll. Ordos, 4th-3rd cent. B.C. CHF 5,500

RECUMBENT PANTHER. L. 3.1 cm. Bronze, solid cast. The panther lies facing right with his forelegs out stretched. He turns his head with wide-open mouth towards the beholder. A collar around the neck. Circular punches re-present the spotted fur. The curled tail lies close to the body. A loop to fasten the object below the belly. Handle applique. Intact. Formerly H.A. Cahn, Basle, 1990’s. Par-thian, 2nd-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 480

A STANDARD. H. 14.8 cm. Bronze. The standard consists of two stylised, antithetical caprids, which are joined by rings at the forelegs, waists and feet; between the lower and central rings, remains of a tubular element, with which the standard could be affixed to a pole. The animals have long ears, naturalistic noses, their heads are crowned with antlers, the ends of which curve out-wards. Formerly Coll. Mrs. S., Germany, 1963. Luristan, 1st quarter 1st mill. B.C. CHF 5,800

A STATUETTE OF A SHREW MOUSE. L. 23.5 cm. Wood, stuccoed and painted grey. Large figure of a shrew, once attached to a small rectangular box serving as a coffin. This is indicated by two dowel holes at the underside of the animal. The mouse is large and bulky, but its shape is stylised to such an extent that it can be clearly identified as a shrew. Its trunk-like nose and the long tail are characteristic. Ears modern. Small restoration to the surface. Formerly Coll. Dr. Ulrich Müller, Zurich, Switzerland; acquired 1968-1978. On the underside, a hand-written inventory number. Egyptian, Ptolemaic, 3rd-1st cent. B.C. CHF 5,600

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8 CQ

A VOTIVE STATUETTE OF A GOAT. L. 5.9 cm. Bronze. The goat stands on a flat base. The slender body is na-turalistically rendered. Head with blunt muzzle, protru-ding eyes, curved horns, and a pointed goatee. Hindlegs angled at the knees. Rounded rear with short, pointed tail. Intact. Formerly private coll., East Sussex, acquired 1959-1970. Old label “GB 9” on underside of the hind-legs. Western Asia, ca. 1000 B.C. CHF 2,800

A FOOT OF A CISTA WITH SWANS. L. 9.2 cm. Bronze. Corner of a square cista with a lion’s paw as foot. Above it, two facing swans on an acanthus leaf with volutes. They turn their heads towards their wings. The front wing is raised, the other wing hugs the swan’s body. On the back there is a ledge on which the corner of the cista was placed. Three wing-tips either worn or missing. Formerly Coll. Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819-1899). Old collection label on the inside: “323”. Etruscan, 1st half of 3rd cent. B.C. CHF 2,800

A STATUETTE OF A PIG OR A DOG. L. 16.2 cm. Terra-cotta. Hand-modelled quadruped with attached globular eyes, and large, alertly cocked ears. Elongated hollow body with keel-like spine and half-twisted stumpy tail. Traces of reddish wash on the surface. Painted on top of it, black-brown pattern: the spine striped horizontally and framed by bands; coat indicated with dots. Hori-zontal stripes on the belly. Legs reattached and partially restored. Formerly Coll. H.C.A., Switzerland. Previously JDC, Tiere und Mischwesen, Cat. 15 (Basle 2003) no. 6. Submycenaean to Protogeometric, 12th-11th cent. B.C. CHF 1,500

A VESSEL ATTACHMENT IN THE FORM OF A BIRD. H. 6.2 cm. Bronze. An angled tubular shape with a sty-lised lotus flower on which a bird, with lens-shaped head, is perched. Three transverse drill holes in the bot-tom section. Intact. Formerly art market, London; JDC, Tiere und Mischwesen, Cat. 13 (Basle, 2001) no. 35. Greek, early 7th cent. B.C. CHF 2,400

A HANDLE WITH ATTACHMENTS IN THE FORM OF BIRDS. H. 5.5 cm. Bronze. Three stylised, delicate birds attached to a ring, below an angular ledge with hole for attachment. Intact. Formerly art market, Switzerland. Greek, Geometric, 8th cent. B.C. CHF 900

A STATUETTE OF A BULL. L. 5 cm. Bronze. Long-legged animal with short body; body and tail pinched to a ridge at the top. The head is characterised by small, steep horns above globular ears, attached disc-shaped eyes, and a blunt, round mouth. Solid cast. Formerly art market, Switzerland; JDC, Tiere und Mischwesen, Cat. 13 (Basle 2001) no. 16. Greek, Geometric, 8th cent. B.C. CHF 1,200

A STATUETTE OF A BULL. H. 5 cm. Bronze. Flat animal figure with pinched ridges for dewlap, back, and belly. The slender, elegantly curved body merges with the mas-sive area of the neck. Small, raised head with carefully engraved eyes, rounded mouth and short, pointed horns. Votive figure or attachment. Intact. Formerly art market, Germany, 2004. Greek, 7th cent. B.C. CHF 1,200

A LID WITH FROG ATTACHMENT. H. 1.3 cm. Bronze. The small, delicate and naturalistically rendered animal squats on the round lid, the head curiously raised. At the side, a vertical eyelet for attachment to a container. Intact. Formerly Coll. S., Cologne, 1960’s to 1980’s. Ro-man, 1st-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 600

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9CQ

AN ARYBALLOS IN THE SHAPE OF A CROUCHING HARE. L. 7.4 cm. Clay, red matt glaze. The hare rests on his long, schematically rendered paws. Mouth, head and the long ears form a curve reaching to his hind quarters. Pronounced, circular eyes. Fur and contours indicated with dotted and linear decoration. A drill hole below the ear for suspension. An opening in the forehead. Used as an ointment vessel. Belongs to the “Group with Cylind-rical Body”. Glaze partially abraded, a small surface loss on left side filled in. Formerly Hesperia Arts Auction, New York, 27 November 1990, no. 103 (as part of lot). Middle Corinthian, 600-575 B.C. CHF 2,400

A COSMETIC VESSEL IN THE SHAPE OF A SITTING BABOON. H. 5 cm. Clay, red slip. The baboon sits with tucked-up hindlegs flanking his forelegs. Traces of dark brown dotted decoration on the rump. The opening of the vessel is located at the top of the head. A handle runs from the baboon’s head to its back. Flat base. Intact. For-merly Coll. L. Mildenberg (1913-2001). Roman, 1st cent. B.C.-1st cent. A.D. CHF 1,300

A GRIFFIN PROTOME. H. 14.4 cm. Clay. The griffin looks straight ahead, his proudly raised head crowned by a jagged crest. The eyebrows project far over the spherical eyes. Powerful, curved beak with pronounced nostrils. Tufts of feathers on the breast. Complete, reas-sembled from four fragments. Slightly worn. Formerly Coll. B.A.W., Basle, Switzerland. Roman, 2nd cent. B.C.- 1st cent. A.D. CHF 1,800

A FEMALE PANTHER. H. 9.3 cm. L. 8.5 cm. Clay. She moves to right on a base. Head slightly turned back-wards; plastically rendered muzzle; round, slightly re-cessed ears. Slim body with muscular legs. A row of teats on her underside. Reverse unworked. Part of the forelegs and base are missing, a fragment reattached at back. Formerly Coll. L. Mildenberg (1913-2001), Inv. no. M390. Publ.: A.P. Kozloff - D.G. Mitten - M. Sguaitamatti, More Animals in Ancient Art from the Leo Mildenberg Collec-tion (Mainz 1986) no. 144 with illus. Eastern Greek, ca. 300 B.C. 2,200

AN OWL SKYPHOS. H. 7 cm. D. 9 cm. Clay. Skyphos of type A with two horizontal handles. Owl to the right between two olive branches. One handle reattached. For-merly German priv. coll. Apulian, late 5th cent. B.C. CHF 2,200

A LAMP WITH A BULL’S HEAD. H. 17 cm. Wrought iron. Large open lamp. At one end, the sides are squeezed together to form a nozzle for the wick. The high handle curves inwards and ends in a stylised bull’s head. Leaf-shaped muzzle with hook, a drill hole in the middle. At the transition to the handle, two elegant S-shaped horns curve upwards. The base of the lamp is concave. Comes with its original chain, composed of six links connected by hooks and loops. Surface slightly corroded. Unbroken. Formerly Munich art market, 2008. Scythian, North West Caucasus, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 5,800

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Cahn’s Quarterly 4/2013

10 CQ

A MONUMENTAL HEAD OF HORSE. H. 57 cm. Limestone. The horse is shown in majestic movement, its head drawn close to its powerful, curved neck. It looks straight ahead proudly. The head is set off from the neck by a broad groove. Deep-set eyes under protruding brows. Circular drill-holes for the pupils and nostrils. Flat muzzle with slightly opened mouth. Long, sickle-shaped tufts of hair on the forehead and around the ears. The straps of the bridle cross each other above the forehead and muzzle as well as on each cheek. The browband is decorated with a large disc on the forehead and with a small disc on either cheek. The mane is formed by a dense row of voluminous S-shaped curls. Part of a monumental piece of sculpture. Possibly from an equestrian statue. Coll. A.P., Brussels, acquired between 1967-1969. Eastern Roman Empire, 2nd-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 88,000

A SQUATTING SQUIRREL. L. 3.3 cm. Bronze, solid cast. The cute little animal squats on the ground, its ears at-tentively cocked. The head rests on its extended front paws, the bushy tail is curled up to the back. Intact. For-merly Austrian priv. coll. Roman, 1st-3rd cent., A.D. CHF 1,400

A RAZOR WITH DOLPHIN HANDLE. L. 9.4 cm. Bronze. The boat-shaped blade of hammered iron is held by a cast bronze handle. The elegantly curved body of the dolphin terminates in a spatula-shaped tail fin. The sur-face of the body is roughened with lines of dots applied when cold. Formerly art market, Munich, 2000. There-after Tiere und Mischwesen, Cat. 13 (Basle 2001) no. 95. Roman, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 1,200

A FRAGMENT FROM A RELIEF WITH THE REPRESEN-TATION OF A BOAR’S HEAD. H. 14 cm. Marble. The boar looks to the left with his mouth wide open. The pronounced bulge on the forehead, the powerful tusks and the thick, shaggy hair are the distinct characteris-tics of the fully grown male animal. The head probably decorated a shield depicted in the relief. Snout slightly worn. Formerly Coll. Jumpertz, Rhineland, before 1983. Roman, ca. 300 A.D. CHF 1,800

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Cahn’s Quarterly 4/2013

11CQ

A PAIR OF HOOKS OF A BELT. L. 6 cm. Bronze. A rare representation of a stylized ketos with curled tail. The body decorated with fine incised lines and scales. Intact. Formerly art market, France. Central Asia, 1st mill. B.C. CHF 800

A STATUETTE OF A HORSE WITH RIDER. H. 26.7 cm. L. 23.5 cm. Terracotta, polychromy. The galloping horse is shown in energetic movement with its front legs forward. The right hind leg is slightly raised. Modelled fully in the round, the proudly raised head underlines the dynamic impression of the whole. Compact chest, slim body and elegant legs, the bridle adorned with discs. On the head an attachment, probably for further adornments for the mane. On the body, traces of a white slip. On the bridle, traces of blue paint, residues of pink paint on mouth and nostrils. The rider wears Phrygian cap, corselet and greaves. Right leg of rider reattached, left restored; upper parts of arms preserved; corselet worn. His head probably does not belong. Horse fully intact except for the separately attached tail, surfaces slightly worn in places. Rider probably does not belong. Formerly Coll. O.G., Bavaria, Germany. Western Greek, Cano-san, 4th-3rd cent. B.C. CHF 6,600

A STATUETTE OF AN EAGLE ON A COLUMN. H. 12 cm. Bronze. He stands upright with his claws gripping the head of a ram placed on top of a column. The smooth, tapering column rises from a rectangular plinth and is crowned by a stylised Ionic capital. Eagles perching upon the heads of animals, especially rams, are docu-mented several times in connection with the cult of Ju-piter Dolichenus. This bronze was, therefore, probably a votive gift to this deity. Shaft of column and shoulder of right wing slightly worn. Formerly Coll. Dr. Franz Curt Fetzer (1900-2000). Roman, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 1,600

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Cahn’s Quarterly 4/2013

12 CQ

A TINNED BRONZE ATTACHMENT. H. 35.5 cm. Tinned bronze. This long rectangular panel would appear to be one of a series originally connected by arches. The finely engraved scene, startling in both size and content, is of a ve-nerable grape vine, with massive trunk, and swirling branches which terminate in large leaves and bear numerous clusters of fruit. At the base of the vine’s gnarled trunk, a small goat, horned and bearded, rears up to right on its hind legs, as though to feed on foliage. Its pelt is stippled; an impression remains of its extended forelegs which, passing behind the vine, were not fully engraved in the final design. The trunk’s bark is in places rendered with a series of several short grooves; and the pollarded branch, lowermost on the right, has been masked out by the tinning of the background, in contrast to vine and goat of uncoated bronze, probably of golden hue in the original, now patinated light green. The vertical edges are perforated for attachment, perhaps once to a frame of wood; several larger holes along the lower edge. Tinned coating slightly abraded. Formerly priv. coll., London, acquired in the 1980’s. Roman, 3rd-4th cent. A.D. CHF 18,000

ARYBALLOS IN THE SHAPE OF AN EAGLE’S HEAD. L. 8.2 cm. Clay, brown and red matt glaze. The eagle holds its quarry, a writhing, hissing snake, in its pow-erful beak. Large eyes, circular pupils. Narrow mouth accentuated by a coloured line. The vessel’s opening on the eagle’s forehead. Wavy lines below the eyes, dots in brown and red matt varnish. Used as an ointment vessel. Fine cracks due to tension on the right, otherwise intact. Formerly New York art market, 1990. On the flat reverse old inventory no. “598”. Eastern Greek, Rhodes (?), 1st half-mid 6th cent. B.C. CHF 2,800

A HEAD OF A LION. H. 8.5 cm. Polychromed wood. Ap-plique from a piece of furniture in the shape of a strongly stylized lion’s head. White face, contours set off in black and red, brown body. A few fissures on the top, minor chipping on the bottom edges. A rectangular recess with a round hole in the underside, to affix the piece. Former-ly Coll. Jürg Marquard, Herrliberg, Switzerland. Egypt, Ptolemaic or Roman Period, 2nd-1st cent. B.C. CHF 1,800

A PAIR OF HORSES. L. 8.6 cm. Bronze. Two addorsed horse’s heads connected by a tube of semi-circular cross-section and with a ridge on top. The horses have slender muzzles, slightly protruding eyes and small, curved ears. The mane forms a ridge rising abruptly from forehead and running almost to the base of the neck. A slight constriction at the base of the neck forms the transition to the tube. One end of tube partly missing, right horse’s head reattached. Part of a horse’s bridle. Formerly Lon-don art market. Greek, Laconian, 7th cent. B.C. CHF 2,200

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Cahn’s Quarterly 4/2013

13CQ

A LARGE RELIEF-DECORATED LAMP WITH 5 NOZZLES. D. ca. 25 cm. Clay, polychrome painting. The disc of this imposing lamp is decorated with two dolphins, which jump out of the water, indicated with wavy lines, to catch an electric ray. At the base of the handle, a rosette flanked by leaves or branches. The base of each of the five nozzles is decorated with a theatre mask. Traces of a white slip and blue and reddish paint. Intact. Formerly Dutch priv. coll., 1960’s. Previously Coll. van der Aa, Belgium. On the base, an old inventory no. “60”. Western Greek, Canosa, ca. 320-310 B.C. CHF 6,800

AN APPLIQUE IN THE FORM OF A LION’S HEAD. D. 18 cm. Sheet bronze, hammered. The face of a lion with large staring eyes and pronounced muzzle, encir-cled with a mane of radiating, engraved tufts. A rim with three ridges. A massive handle ring originally passed through the open mouth. Slight restoration to rim. An attachment hole through rim above. Applique from a door or a sarcophagus. Rim restored at several places. Mouth restored. Formerly JDC Cat. 13 (Bas-le 2001) No. 98 with illus. Previously Coll. Hofmann, Berlin, before 1939, acquired from Ruth Hofmann. Ro-man, 2nd-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 1,600

TWO SCULPTOR’S MODELS OF CROCODILES. L. 12 cm. White limestone. The crocodiles lie on low, rectangular bases and are finely sculpted, with much attention gi-ven to the details of their heads and legs. Their tails are slightly curved. The edges of the base and one crocodile’s tail are slightly worn. One base with crocodile’s tail is reassembled from a few large fragments. The artefacts could be either sculptor’s models or votive gifts to the crocodile-god Sobek. Formerly Paris art market. Egypt, Ptolemaic, 3rd-2nd cent. B.C. CHF 18,000

A RHYTON IN THE FORM OF A BOAR’S HEAD. L. 16.9 cm. Clay, matt red glaze. Head hand modelled, conical body made with the potter’s wheel. Expressive head. Tusks clearly visible. Protruding eyes, small spoon-shaped ears. A ridge separates the head from the body. Traces of paint on the snout and body of vessel. Crest missing. Reassembled. Formerly Coll. L. Mildenberg (1913-2001), inv.-no. M 833. Western Greek, mid-4th cent. B.C. CHF 3,600

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Cahn’s Quarterly 3/2013

7CQ

AN EROS PENDANT. H. 2.1 cm. Sheet gold. Winged Eros wearing a narrow cloak covering his upper arms. Slight-ly crushed, otherwise intact. Formerly Munich art mar-ket. Greek, 3rd-2nd cent. B.C. CHF 2,400

A PENDANT WITH A THEATRE MASK. H. 2.6 cm. Gold, agate. A layered agate theatre mask in high relief with open-work eyes, mouth and neck in an oval sheet-gold setting with a zig-zag pattern along the rim and a loop for suspension. A round drill-hole at the base of the neck. The mask is backed by a further sheet of gold. Intact. Formerly Coll. Haddad, London. Roman, 2nd-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 4,600

A HANDLE IN THE FORM OF A BABOON. H. 5 cm. Bone. The cloaked baboon crouches to right atop a floral ca-pital and looks back over its shoulders. It is depicted with the characteristic thick and long mane of hair about the shoulders. A drill-hole on the underside of the base. Attachment for a knife (as its handle) or for a pin of columnar form. Formerly private coll., France. Egypt, Alexandria, late Roman Empire, 3rd-4th cent. A.D. CHF 2,400

AN AMULET OF THE GOD HEH. H. 2.2 cm. Gold. The god Heh wears a short apron and a wig, and originally held two palm ribs as a symbol of eternity. Left arm with palm rib missing. Loop on the reverse. Possibly part of a diadem. Formerly Coll. Kofler, Lucerne. Egypt, Old King-dom, late 6th Dynasty, after 2200 B.C. CHF 4,500

A BOTTLE WITH TEXTILE CASE. H. 7.6 cm. W. 6.2 cm. Green glass, textile. The cylindrical body of this minia-ture vessel is enclosed by a knotted, dark red textile case with a lozenge pattern. A handle permits the bottle to be carried or suspended. A pair of elongated texile elements are attached to the sides and four tassels to the lower edge. Formerly Coll. W. Kern, Zurich, 1950’s-1970’s (d. 1980’s). Late Roman, probably Egypt, 3rd-5th cent. A.D. CHF 14,000

A PAIR OF EARRINGS WITH GARNET PENDANTS. L. 12.2 cm. Gold, garnet, mother-of-pearl. Each ear-ring is composed of an openwork rosette with a bead of mother-of-pearl in the centre, and an openwork bar from which four pendants, each with a garnet bead set in gold, are suspended. Hook-shaped hanger to which a long chain ending in a floral element is attached. Fine workmanship. Top layer of mother-of-pearl abraded. Formerly priv. coll., London, since the 1980’s. Roman, 3rd-4th cent. A.D. CHF 6,800

A FULCRUM ATTACHMENT WITH SILEN’S HEAD. H. 10.7 cm. Bone. Relief decoration from the curved side of a couch’s backrest. A smiling silen’s head rendered in profile to left, with long flowing beard and a wreath of ivy encircling his head. An ivy blossom with four petals above the tip of the ear. Reverse smoothly worked. A fissure above the eye, and slight damage to the lower edge. Formerly MM AG, Basle, ca. 1980. Greek, Hellenis-tic, early 2nd cent. B.C. CHF 8,800

A LUNATE PENDANT. H. 4.5 cm. L. 5 cm. Gold, garnet. This pendant, of very refined make, is lunate in form, with three cabouchon garnets in claw-settings at its seg-mented centre. These are bordered above by successive rows of plain and twisted wire, and in the principal zone by a vegetal stalk sprouting short curling tendrils. Af-fixed to the crescent’s pointed tips are two heart-shaped garnets in independent claw-settings (one now restored), and at mid bottom edge a round garnet encircled with twisted wire and flanked by two small rosettes. Fused to its top raised edge are two hollow, conjoined spher-ical beads for suspension, their ends ornamented with twisted wire and their surfaces with granulation. A third palmette marks the point of their attachment to the pendant’s rim. A flat sheet of gold encloses the entire reverse. Coll. Sasson, Israel, early 1990’s. Nabatean-Hel-lenistic, 2nd cent. B.C. CHF 14,000

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Cahn’s Quarterly 3/2013

8 CQ

A PAIR OF GOLD EARRINGS WITH GARNETS. L. 4.3 cm. Gold, garnet, mother-of-pearl. Each earring is compo-sed of a rosette with a garnet in the middle. Below, a bar formed by a pair of antithetical double duck’s heads. Attached to it are three pendants with various beads. Intact. Munich art market. Roman, 3rd cent. A.D. CHF 8,800

A PAIR OF EARRINGS WITH BULL’S HEADS. H. 3.1 cm. Gold. The magnificent bull’s head protomes with point-ed horns and finely engraved hair are carefully ham-mered out of sheet gold. The mouth and nostrils are ren-dered by grooves. The gold is pierced to form the eyes. A cuff framed with beaded wire enclosing a spherical element forms the transition from the bull’s head to the tapering hoop of twisted gold wire and rounded sheet gold with applied beaded wire. The hoop ends in a mo-dern gold hook, which can be inserted into a modern gold loop below the head to close the earring. Formerly Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, ca. 1942; thereafter, Sotheby’s Ancient Jewellery Sales, 25 June 1992, lot no. 191. Greek, Hellenistic, 4th-3rd cent. B.C. CHF 7,800

A REEL WITH QUADRIGA. D. 2.3 cm. Sheet gold. Fine reel made of two discs of sheet gold with embossed deco-ration, joined by a biconical element. One disc depicts a delicately executed quadriga to left. The two charioteers are crowned by a Nike flying to right. In the exergue, three palmettes. The other disc has a central depres sion surrounded by ten concentric circles. A small, loosepiece of gold in the interior. Reels of this kind were wide spread, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean. The piece of gold inside our reel suggests that it was used as a rattle. It is, however, also possible that the object served as an earring. Interestingly, the quadriga and Nike on our object are close to images found on coins minted in the Greek cities in Sicily and Southern Italy in the 5th and 4th centuries B.C. Somewhat crushed, otherwise intact. Formerly in the stock of a Parisian art dealer, ac-quired in the 1980’s. Greek, 5th-4th cent. B.C. CHF 12,000

A MAGNIFICENT EARRING. D. 3.5 cm. Gold. A single, unusually large Creole earring, the crescent-shaped hoop formed of drawn and twisted gold wire whose upper end terminates in a superbly crafted and finely detailed bull’s head. The head is made of two pieces of embossed sheet gold. A whitish inlay in the eyes, probably glass paste. Conical cuff at the transition between the head and the hoop, decorated with volutes and a heart framed by be-aded wire. Formerly Coll. R. Kiezenbrink, The Nether-lands. Greek, 3rd-2nd cent. B.C. CHF 5,600

A RING WITH A BUST. D. max. 1.5 cm. Silver, gold. Octagonal hoop adorned by a rectangular, golden plaque with the portrait of Empress Julia Domna (ca. 170 - 217 A.D.) in profile to right. Two thirds of the hoop an-cient. The missing section completed in modern times using 18 carat gold. Formerly Herbert A. Cahn, Basle, 1990’s. Roman, early 3rd cent. A.D. CHF 7,500

A RING WITH INTAGLIO. H. 2.3 cm. D. 1.6-1.9 cm. Gold, red glass. Delicate sheet gold hoop set with a red, glass intaglio depicting the bust of Ceres to left. Profiled set-ting. A small dent in the hoop. Formerly Coll. S.M., Swit-zerland. Previously private coll. Bonn, Germany, 1970’s; Coll. C.W., Appenzell. Roman, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 1,800

A BALUSTER-SHAPED FLASK. H. 17.6 cm. Greenish glass. Baluster-shaped body with arched base. Tubular neck with flaring mouth. Iridescent. Interior encrusted. Formerly Coll. Saeed Motamed (1925-2013), formed be-tween 1953 and the early 1990’s. Roman, Eastern Medi-terranean, 3rd-4th cent. A.D. CHF 3,500

A RING WITH INTAGLIO. D. 2.3 cm. Gold, carnelian. In-taglio with barbarian warrior striding to left. He wears a helmet with crest and long trousers. He holds a spear in his left hand and a shield in his right hand. Signed: “HA”. Round hoop. Intact. Formerly Collection Saeed Motamed (1925-2013), formed between 1953 and early 1990’s. Ro-man, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 2,400

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Cahn’s Quarterly 3/2013

9CQ

A FINGER RING WITH AN INTAGLIO. D. 1.7-1.8 cm. Gold, carnelian. The ancient ring is set with its original, signed carnelian intaglio. The flat surface of the rectan-gular gem is finely engraved with the head of a faun in three-quarter view and facing left. There is a lagobolon behind his neck and an inscription in the field next to his right shoulder: A.M. Intact. Formerly Coll. Fouad Alouf, Beirut, before 1986. Roman, late 1st cent. B.C.-early 1st cent. A.D. CHF 36,000

A PAIR OF EARRINGS. H. max. 2.8 cm. Gold. Studs with decorated circlet and shield attachment. Grape-shaped pendant of five small golden balls. Two of the small balls restored. Modern hook made of gold. Formerly H.A. Cahn, Basle, 1990’s. Roman, 2nd-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 1,400

AN ARMLET. D. 7.2 cm. Silver. A massive, open armlet, fashioned by twisting together two substantial strands whose elongated ends, fused together, are worked in the round. Intact. Formerly priv. coll., England, acquired from K.J. Hewitt, London. Roman, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 2,600

MONUMENTAL STORAGE VESSEL. H. 43 cm. Turquoise glass. Vessel with impressively large globular body, short cylindrical neck with abraded mouth. The bottom is concave. Iridescent. Some encrustation. Small fissures. Formerly Jacobs Collection, Belgium, 1981. Roman, probably Gaul, 2nd-4th cent. A.D. or Byzantine, 6th-11th cent. A.D. CHF 65,000

A CORE-FORMED ARYBALLOS. H. 6.5 cm. Blue, yel-low and turquoise glass. Spherical body with yellow and light blue zig-zags framed by horizontal bands. Short, cylindrical neck with flaring rim. A thread of light blue glass is applied to the lip. The two handles were made separately and then attached. Reassembled. Formerly Coll. Saeed Motamed (1925-2013), formed between 1953 and the early 1990’s. Eastern Mediterranean, late 6th-5th cent. B.C. CHF 6,000

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Cahn’s Quarterly 2/2013

6 CQ

A Selection of gods and heroes from the Gallery Cahn New Artworks Monthly on www.cahn.ch

A STATUETTE OF VENUS. H. 23.5 cm. Bronze, hollow cast. The nude goddess covers her breasts and pudenda with her hands in the manner of the Venus Pudica. She stands in contraposto with her right leg placed slightly to one side. Heavily lidded eyes with drilled pupils, a broad nose and full lips characterize the oval face. The hair is centrally parted. The wavy strands are combed back to the nape of the neck where they are tied together in a loose chignon. A towering pile of curls rises from the crown of her head behind a flat diadem. Mounted on a round, profiled marble base of the late 19th century. Fingers partially missing. Left arm reattached. Several lacunae in the body. Surface partially corroded. Formerly Coll. A.B., North Rhine-Westphalia, before 1954. Roman, 2nd-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 56,000

A BUST OF A GODDESS (APHRODITE?). H. 10.9 cm. Clay. A fine, oval shaped face; her long hair is parted in the middle and drawn back to reveal her sphere-shaped earrings. On her head, a diadem with a disc above the forehead. She looks straight ahead with pursed lips. Pro-minent Venus rings on her neck. The base of the bust is almost round. A circular firing hole at the back of the head, a small round hole at the crown. Part of the back of the base is missing. Protome. Formerly Coll. R.L.G., Mühlheim, 1970’s. Greek, ca. 300 B.C. CHF 4,800

A STATUETTE OF EROS. H. 18.8 cm. Bronze, silver. The god of love is represented as a naked child that strides forwards almost as if dancing. His pudgy face if framed by fine curls that form a braid and a knot on the crown of his head. The right arm was originally raised and pro-bably held a torch. The left arm was lowered. Eyes inlaid with silver. Traces of the wings on the statuette’s back. Slightly worn. Formerly Coll. Jean-Philippe Mariaud de Serres. Roman, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 26,000

A STATUETTE OF EROS H. 21 cm. Terracotta. Standing in a relaxed pose, with right leg slightly flexed, left arm akimbo, leaning with right on a pillar, his body frontally exposed, a long mantle enveloping both arms. Hair ren-dered in a mellon coiffure, drawn up into a high circular topknot. Small wings spring outwards from shoulders. The whole covered with a white engobe or slip, over which pastel colours are applied: pink mantle, blue and pink wings, reddish hair. Supported on a rectangular base. An upside-down, heart-shaped firing hole is cut into the flattened, unworked back. Some wear to sur-faces. Formerly Coll. Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Ber-gé. Apulian, Canosa, Late 4th-early 3rd cent. B.C. CHF 16,000

A SMALL HEAD OF EROS. H. 4 cm. Clay. He wears an Attic helmet and turns his head to his left. The carefully detailed, chubby face is framed by curly hair. Venus folds on the neck. The head was probably part of a statuette. A lacuna on the helmet’s crest. Slightly worn. Formerly Munich art market. Greek, Myrina, 2nd-1st cent. B.C. CHF 1,600

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A FRAGMENT OF A SARCOPHAGUS WITH NEREID AND TRITONS. H. 51.5 cm. W. 71 cm. Marble. This fine fragment comes from the right side of a sarcophagus front, preserving a section of an elegantly composed marine thiasos, executed in high relief. A Nereid sits side-saddle, backwards, astride the high-curving tail of a Triton to left. Sensuously naked but for a mantle draped decorously about her hips and upper thighs, she braces herself with a right hand pressed against her mount’s body while, with her left hand, she balances a collared vessel on its side atop her left thigh. Left leg bent and right outstretched, her toes just grazing the surface of waves billowing below, she turns her head round to left, looking towards the long side’s centre that would have been marked by the object once held out by her male companion - be it a tondo with inscription or portrait, a shield, or a tabula ansata, inter alia. A second Triton, youthful, toussle-haired, whose muscular torso rises from a sea-serpent body, moves in from the right. He cradles a rudder in his left arm, and he is full-cheeked from the sounding of a trumpet shell held in the palm of his raised right hand. Scene bordered above by a narrow projecting moulding. Inner surface roughly worked, with strip of bottom of sarcophagus preserved. Loss of lower pointed end of trumpet shell; slight damage to edges. Surfaces overall somewhat darkened from long exposure to elements. Formerly Sotheby’s, New York, 8 December 1995, lot 118, illus. Roman, Antonine, 2nd half of 2nd cent. A.D. CHF 115,000

A HANDLE IN THE FORM OF CONJOINED NEREIDS. L. 21.1 cm. Bronze. A pair of Nereids astride dolphins are joined at the head and embrace, supported on a shell, which the dolphins grip in their mouths. Each Nereid holds a leaf in their hand. The tails of the dolphins form loops for attachment. Surface details incised. The reverse side flat. Well preserved. A pin still affixed through one loop. A decorative handle from a piece of furniture. For-merly Paris art market. Roman, 2nd cent. A.D. CHF 9,500

A FIGURE OF A KNEELING NIKE. H. 5.2 cm. L. 9.2 cm. Bronze, silver. A graceful figure of Nike, kneeling full front, with slender wings outspread, grasps a snake by her side in each hand. Her head is slightly bowed, and her hair is bound into a long Greek-style chignon at back. She wears a short belted garment (chiton) with double overfold, rendered in archaising style, which is centrally parted to leave abdomen and legs exposed. Eyes inlaid in silver. Details of wing feathers finely engraved. Part of the snake is missing. Part of round tang preserved on flattened underside, once serving to affix the figure to an object such as the rim of a vessel. Vessel or furniture applique. Formerly priv. coll., London, England, acquired from Artemis, Munich, 26 October 1978; London, Bon-hams Antiquities, 27 April 2006, lot no. 122. Publ.: Lon-don, Bonhams Antiquities, 27 April 2006, lot no. 122, illus. Roman, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 9,500

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8 CQ

A MOSAIC WITH EROS SAILING. H. 62 cm. W. 94 cm. White, dark grey, brown, yellow, red, green and black stone tesserae. The child-like, winged Eros stands on the neck of a slender transport amphora on which he sails to left across an expanse of water richly populated by fishes and a squid. He holds in his hands two of the corners of the rectangular sail, which swells in the wind. The other two corners are fastened to the handles of the amphora. Fragment of a floor mosaic, probably from a triclinium. A few tesserae missing, some lacunae filled with mortar. Formerly Belgian priv. coll. Roman, 2nd-3rd cent. A.D. CHF 32,000

A RED-FIGURE PELIKE. H. 23.7 cm. Clay. On the obver-se, Eros, son of Aphrodite, sits to left astride his large watery steed, a leaping dolphin - Eros „epidelphinos“. Taking firm grip of a dorsal fin, he tilts his upper body forward jockey-like, head down and wings outspread behind, bracing himself against the wind. The unusual groundline below, composed of rightward-facing chev-rons, gives the impressionistic effect of a row of op-posing sea waves. The chevron border recurrs on the re-verse, where it supports a draped figure of Poseidon who presides here as god of the sea and, with trident in hand, as „Earth-Shaker“. Both deities, whose representation to-gether in Attic red-figure vase-painting is uncommon, symbolise, inter alia, the taming of wild elements and the provision of safe passage for mariners. A band of egg-pattern borders the scene above on both sides A and B. A stroke of glaze, an ancient mishap, crosses Eros’s face onto his left shoulder. Restored from numerous fragments; surfaces overall retouched. Previously H.A.C., Kunst der Antike, Basle. Formerly Swiss priv. coll. Attic, ca. 440-430 B.C. CHF 54,000

A RED-FIGURE OINOCHOE (SHAPE 2), ATTRIBUTED TO THE PAINTER OF FERRARA T. 271. H. 19.4 cm. Clay. A Dionysiac scene decorates the front of this oinochoe with distinctive trefoil mouth. At centre, a heavy-set sa-tyr of mature years sits to left atop a pointed amphora, which lies on its side, wreathed with ivy and obviously drained of its contents. The satyr steadies with his left hand the stalk of a long thyrsos resting on the diagonal against his shoulder, and he holds forth a drinking horn in his outstretched right. Doubtless tamed by drink, he relaxes in the company of two maenads. One grips a thyrsos near the stalk’s top; the other stretches forth a spray of ivy. The mood overall is here calm, collected and civilised - a world away from the wine-fueled antics and sexual aggression common to Dionysiac thiasoi of the archaic period. Vase unbroken; two minor chips out of low ring foot. Surfaces abraded in places, with no retouching of figure-work. Previously Coll. Mr. and Mrs. Paul K. Stahnke, Virginia, acquired in Florence in 1946, and thence by descent to the former owner. On loan to The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Mass., 24 June 1969 - 27 June 1995. Attic, ca. 430-420 B.C. CHF 24,000

A PLASTIC VASE IN THE FORM OF A PAN’S HEAD. H. 18.2 cm. Clay. The lower body of the vessel is formed of the long neck and head of Pan, mounted on a spreading profiled foot whose reserved edge is highlighted with a wave pattern. The expressive grimacing face, bearded, snub-nosed, with ribbed horns rising from the forehead, is coated with a light red wash. Beard and moustache en-livened with incision, and end of the nose, mid-forehead and temples with small perforations. Between the tips of the horns, the remains of a painted bust in a rectangular field. At the back of the head, at the base of the upright handle (now missing), reserved tongues; to either side, pairs of circumscribed palmettes. Upper half of the vessel missing; slight damage to base. Formerly the estate of Wladimir Rosenbaum (1894-1984). Publ.: Brussels An-cient Art Fair (BAAF III), Cat. June 2005, advertisement for Galleria Serodine, Ascona, illus. Western Greek, 4th cent. B.C. CHF 18,000

A STATUETTE OF ZEUS KERAUNIOS. H. 13.7 cm. Bronze. The father of the gods strides forward, ready to attack his opponent. In his raised right hand he probably held a lightning bundle. The finely engraved strands of hair are arranged in a cap-like manner forming a curve above his forehead. Almond-shaped eyes and long eye-

New Artworks Monthly on www.cahn.ch

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9CQ

A HEAD OF A BEARDED MALE DEITY. H. 33.5 cm. Mar-ble. This striking over life-size head of a bearded male is expertly carved from a white, fine-crystalline marble, probably originating in one of the Greek islands such as Paros. There is a perceptible assymetry in the alignment of its strong features, induced by a turn to the figure’s proper right. The noble face is marked by a powerful forehead with pronounced median furrow, prominent brows with deep-set, heavily-lidded eyes, a slightly open mouth with the lower lip full and the upper marked by a lush moustache whose long ends trail downwards to overlie the thick voluted curls of a centrally parted beard. A row of overlapping locks, short and dressed for-ward, frame the high forehead, while long locks cascade over sides and back of neck and are bound with broad, flat fillet knotted at the nape. The expressive features, imbued with a certain pathos, the flowing locks and re-gal fillet all strongly suggest that this head represents a deity, such as Zeus, Poseidon or even Asklepios. In a number of its aspects, it bears fair comparison with the head of the noted mid-2nd century B.C. statue in Athens of the Poseidon from Melos. Pre viously MuM AG, Bas-le, Kunstwerke der Antike, Auktion 26, 5 October 1963, no. 185, illus.; Sotheby’s, London, 1 July 1969, no. 110, illus., sold to L. Money, England; Cal ifornia private coll-ection; Sotheby’s, New York, 17 December 1998, no. 108, illus., and 10 December 1999, no. 283, illus. Formerly with Royal-Athena Galleries, New York, Art of the An-cient World, Vol. XII (January, 2001) no. 2, illus. Greek, Hellenistic, ca. 2nd cent. B.C. CHF 88,000

brows. Cheeks and chin are framed by a pointed full be-ard which juts forwards. A richly pleated cloak is slung around his body diagonally from his left shoulder to his right thigh. Part of the left arm and leg missing. The left leg was repaired in antiquity, as indicated by the two rivets at the knee. Formerly Coll. Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819-1899). Two old labels on the reverse: inv. no. 463. Northern Greek, 2nd-3rd quarter of 5th cent. B.C. CHF 9,000

A STATUETTE OF ISIS. H. 17.7 cm. Wood. The goddess stands in an elegant posture with swaying hips and turns her head slightly to the right. Her long hair cascades on to her back and shoulders. She gathers her himation in diagonal folds between her breasts, from where the drapery sweeps to the ground in a single cascade. Some lacunae, slightly worn. Formerly Royal Athena Galleries, 2000. Hellenistic, Ptolemaic, 2nd-1st cent. B.C. CHF 9,800

A HEAD OF HERAKLES WEARING A WREATH OF LEAVES. H. 5.7 cm. Clay. The hero’s oval face is framed by long hair and a full beard. His forehead is contracted in a frown. Wide-open eyes and prominent cheekbones.. The head is surrounded by a prominent wreath of leaves. Old label on the underside of the base „304 Barbe“ and an inv.-no. in pencil: „1183“ and „AC“. Formerly Coll. Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819-1899). Eastern Mediterranean, 1st cent. B.C. - 1st. cent. A.D. CHF 2,800

AN APPLIQUE IN THE FORM OF A BUST OF PAN. H. 12.3 cm. Bronze. The god wears a wreath on his head and a goat’s skin across his chest. He sports goat’s horns and a goatee beard. His eyes protrude slightly and have comma-shaped, drilled pupils and broad lids. His brow is deeply furrowed. Well preserved. Formerly Coll. De Mat-eis, Lugano. Roman, 3rd-4th cent. A.D. CHF 7,800

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Cahn’s Quarterly 1/2013

6 CQ

A Selection of Sculptures from the Gallery Cahn New Artworks Monthly on www.cahn.ch

A FRAGMENT OF AN IONIC CAPITAL. W. ca. 56 cm. Marble. - Slender capital with evenly inward curving volutes. Slightly worn, with some chipping of surfaces. Hellenistic or Roman, ca. 150 B.C.. CHF 8,500

A FRAGMENT OF A SARCOPHAGUS. H. 50 cm. Marble. - The upper parts of two figures are preserved on the far left section of this sarcophagus front, both facing sharply to right with countenances of surprise or consternation. Mercury, wearing petasos (winged?) and a cloak typically secured with a large pin at right shoulder, is readily iden-tifiable by the top of his messenger’s wand (caduceus), carved in shallow relief at mid-field overlying the folds of a mantle that has been raised sail-like aloft. In front of him and to his proper right is a female companion, doubtless a goddess, clothed in chiton and heavy cloak, her long locks of hair drawn back and bound into a chignon, with loose tresses trailing onto her shoulder. Scene bordered above by a narrow projecting moulding; left edge regularly finished. Roughly worked surfaces at back preserve part of curved left end of sarcophagus’s interior. Noses of both figures restored, as well as upper lip of the female figure. These figures in all likelihood once formed part of a multi-figured scene of the discovery and seduction of Rhea Silvia by the god Mars, by whom she conceived and gave birth to the twins Romulus and Remus, legendary founders of the city of Rome. Formerly part of the decorative scheme of a villa in Aachen, Germany, 1950’s-1960’s. Roman, Early Severan, 1st quarter of 3rd cent. A.D. CHF 36,000

A FRAGMENT FROM A RELIEF WITH THE REPRESEN-TATION OF A BOAR’S HEAD. H. 14 cm. Marble. - The boar looks to the left with his mouth wide open. The pronounced bulge on the forehead, the powerful tusks and the thick, shaggy hair are the distinct characteris-tics of the fully grown male animal. The head probably decorated a shield depicted in the relief. Snout slightly worn. Formerly Coll. Jumpertz, Rhineland, before 1983. Roman, ca. 300 A.D. CHF 3,400

A FRAGMENT OF A RIGHT HAND HOLDING A PHI-ALE. L. 19 cm. Marble. - From a life-sized sculpture. The thumb rests on the wide rim of the phiale, while the rather slender fingers give support from beneath. Finely incised arches to indicate the nails. Drill holes separate the fingers. Little finger and rim of the phiale worn, otherwise well preserved. Formerly coll. Warren Stratford Trevors, acquired in the 1950’s-1960’s. Roman, 1st-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 8,800

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7CQ

FRAGMENT OF THE HEAD OF A WOMAN WITH A CLASSICAL COIFFURE. H. ca. 28 cm. Marble. - The area around the right ear and nape of the neck is preserved. The head originally faced to the left. The hair is gathered together at the nape of the neck. A ribbon is tied around the top of the head. The hair emerges from below it in thick strands, framing the face. Roman, 1st c. A.D. CHF 6,800

ANIMAL COMBAT SCENE. H. 22.5 CM. MARBLE. - Part of a child’s sarcophagus with lion attacking a gazelle. Animal combat scene of the “static type”: The gazelle crouches below the predator, stretching its head upwards in a gesture of despair. The lion stands above the gazelle, its jaws wide open with lolling tongue and furrowed forehead and nose. The jowls are pulled up high and set off distinctly. A deep groove around the eyeballs, drilled pupils. Magnificent mane structured by deep drill channels, without the ornamental regularity characteristic of the second half of the third century A.D. Compact body with clearly visible muscles on the chest and forelegs. Tufts of fur on the underside of the forelegs. A leash is thrown over the lion’s back. Upper edge and lower left edge of the relief fragmenary, forelegs of the gazelle missing. Lion’s mane next to jowls damaged. Slight damage to lion’s flank; a drill hole from a later date. Interior roughly hewn. Formerly Estate Jean-Philippe Mariaud de Serres, Paris. Roman, 1st half of 3rd cent. A.D. CHF 26,000

A SMALL HEAD OF EROS. H. 10.2 cm. Marble, fine-grai-ned. - His long, curly hair is braided over the forehead and top of his head. The head is turned to left. The round face has narrow, almond-shaped eyes. The head is incli-ned slightly, indicating that the posture of the statuette as a whole was very dynamic. Face, hair above forehead and neck slightly worn. Damage to nose. Formerly Ame-rican private collection. Acquired ca. 1960. Roman, early 2nd cent. A.D. CHF 9,800

A LID OF A CINERARIUM. L. 47,5 cm. Marble, iron. - The lid is shaped like a barrel-vault. Acroteria in the form of stylized palmettes flank the pediment with the bust of a lady. She wears a Flavian hairstyle: two tiers of hair rise up over the row of curls framing her forehead. Fine facial features. Edges slightly worn. Both short sides of the lid have a hole in the middle of the profiled edges, allowing the urn to be closed. An iron pin is still preserved in one of the holes. A vertical groove in the middle of the underside of the back of the lid. Formerly H.A. Cahn, Basle. Exhibited at KAM Zürich 9th-14th February 1999, no. 342. Roman, Flavian, ca. 80 A.D. CHF 16,000

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A MONUMENTAL RELIEF WITH FIGURE OF A DRAPED FEMALE. H. 102 cm. Marble. - Preserved is the torso of an over life-size female figure, standing in a pronounced contra-posto pose, with her weight borne on a straight right leg, the left originally flexed at the knee. She is fully enveloped in a voluminous mantle that also veils her head as a mark of piety. With her right hand she draws across her upper body a series of folds that cascade down her front from her left shoulder, looping over from a raised left forearm, and continue in calligraphic progression to form a V-shaped crease between her legs. Probably from the left side of a monumental funerary relief, late Hellenistic to early Roman in date, depicting at least two figures (two women, or man and woman) side by side. This type of the draped female form is one of the most prevalent of such images in the classical world. The elegant, all-enfolding drapery and the carefully composed stance were intended to represent feminine virtues of beauty, grace and decorum in both Greek and Roman societies. Carved from a large block of marble, the flat back of which is roughly worked and heavily encrusted. Formerly Sotheby’s, New York, 15 June 1988, lot no. 121; James la Pere. Greek, Hellenistic, ca. 1st cent. B.C. CHF 78,000

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A SANDALLED RIGHT FOOT. L. 26 cm. Marble, iron. - The life-sized foot wears a sandal with elaborately laced thongs. The thongs are tied crosswise over the top of the foot and form a kind of basket around the heel. An almost oval cavity slightly above the toes may have ser-ved as the setting of an ornament made from a different material. The bottom of the calf with an iron dowel is preserved. Toes missing. Slightly worn. Formerly priv. coll., England. Greek, Hellenistic, 4th-2nd cent. B.C. CHF 15,800

A PORTRAIT HEAD OF A MAN. H. 24 CM. LIMESTONE. - This portrait of a middle-aged man, angled slightly to its proper left, is both spare in execution and direct in expression. Prominent almond-shaped eyes are framed by sharply defined lids. The forehead is broad and heavily creased, the cheekbones high, the chin small, and the thin-lipped mouth tightly closed. The receding hair is close cropped and combed forward from the crown. These features are fully characteristic of the tradition of veristic Republican portraiture that developed in the 1st century B.C. “... to embody the Roman aristocrat’s ideas of his defining qualities: his sternness, honesty, gravity, experience, and hardened mi-litary courage” (R.R.R. Smith, Hellenistic Sculpture (London, 1991) 256). This head is readily paralleled by numerous others, in marble and limestone, in the new portrait manner commissioned by Romans in Italy during the age of Julius Caesar. The areas behind the ears and at back are only summarily worked. Damage to right eye, nose and head’s reverse above. Formerly priv. coll. Tessin, Switzerland, since the 1960’s. Roman, mid-1st cent. B.C. CHF 16,000

A FRAGMENT OF A LIFE-SIZE LEFT FOOT. W. 13 cm. Bronze, hollow cast. - The four preserved toes are rende-red in a highly naturalistic manner with great attention paid to the details. The joints of the toes and the toenails are carefully sculpted and the small folds in the skin are rendered by incisions. Formerly Munich art market, 1980’s-1990’s. Roman, 1st cent. B.C.-2nd cent. A.D. CHF 12,500

A HEAD OF A NYMPH. H. 11.1 cm. Fine-grained mar-ble. - The softly rounded neck with Venus folds clear-ly reveals that the head of the nymph was originally stretched far forwards. The long, wavy hair is centrally parted, wound around a broad fillet and knotted at the nape of the neck. A circular drill-hole separates the knot from the neck. Slender, oval face with narrow, almond-shaped eyes below sharply ridged eyelids and flat eyeb-rows. Soft cheeks and slightly protruding chin. Slightly pouting mouth with dimples. Part of the crown of the head was sculpted separately. The flat areas were tooled with a claw chisel. Root of nose and part of the nostrils preserved. Minor restorations to the right inner corner of the eye and to the left nostril. Neck slightly worn. The hair style and posture of the head indicate that it came from a statuette representing a nymph bending over a basin of water, a Hellenistic statue-type of the 4th cent. B.C. Formerly with Hirsch, Munich. Greek, Hellenistic, late 4th-1st half of 3rd cent. B.C. CHF 16,000