By Carter B. Horsley
While Christie's has a considerably larger antiquities auction this season than Sotheby's, especially in its Egyptian section, this auction of Antiquities at Sotheby's is notable for a very fine group of Greek and Roman sculptures.
The cover illustration of the catalogue, for example, Lot 66, shown above, is a superb Hellenistic marble head of a prince, circa mid 2nd Century B.C., that is 9 inches high and was once in the collection of the Reigning Family of Lichtenstein. It has a conservative estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It is in very fine condition. It sold for $247,750, including the buyer's premium as do all results mentioned in this article. About 72 percent of the offered lots sold, considerably better than the fall Christie's sale, but still not a very successful sale, ending the fall auction season that has been quite mixed. The buy-in rates at these antiquities sales and at many of this season's day sales were high, often one out of three lots, and will be of concern to future consignors as will be the fact that many of the better lots failed to sell despite estimates that were not overinflated generally. For bargain-hunters, of course, such conditions are very desirable, but the season ends on a perplexing note. In some categories, collectors were ready to spring for hefty prices but in others they were very hesitant. Despite "spin" explanations that collectors were interested in high-quality items that were "fresh" to the market, the results of this season were quite uneven and many fine works went unsold, indicating a rather weak market. In the antiquities market, Egyptian works have been very strong for several seasons but this fall the results were quite mixed. The spring auctions, therefore, promise to be unpredictable and very much influenced by general economic conditions. Antiquities remain greatly undervalued vis a vis other major collecting markets. The market has risen steadily but not too dramatically for several seasons, until this one, which was decidedly weak. Other sectors, such as American paintings, Modern and Contemporary have shown considerable strength, but Latin American Art and Tribal Art were also rather weak.
An earlier piece in not quite as good condition is Lot 67, a Greek marble head of Aphrodite, circa late 4th Century B.C. The 15 1/4-inch-high marble has a somewhat ambitious estimate of $400,000 to $600,000. It failed to sell.
A more serene marble head of Aphrodite who has also weathered the eons better is Lot 87, which is dated Roman Imperial, 1st Century, A.D. The 9-inch-high bust has an modest estimate of $70,000 to $100,000. It sold for $78,375.
For those interested in seeing the rest of Aphrodite, Lot 88, is a 45-inch-high headless statue of the goddess, that is also Roman Imperial, circa late 2nd Century A.D. The catalogue provides the following commentary on this lot that is modeled on the Aphrodite of Syracuse:
"This statue is the mirror image of the Hellenistic original, with other variations introduced by the Roman copyist. According to Bieber, Ancient Copies, p. 65, 'in the Hellenistic original, Aphrodite's mantle is not knotted. She prevents it from slipping off her body by holding it with her left hand, while with her right she covers her breasts. The combination of the slipping drapery and the gesture of modesty appealed to the Romans, but the copyists added an extra measure of security by knotting the drapery held over the lap.'"
The lot has a conservative estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It failed to sell.
For many collectors, especially of headless statues, drapery and the fineness with which it is rendered is very desirable and evocative. Lot 89 is a Hellenistic marble figure of a woman or Goddess, circa late 2nd/early 1st Century, B.C., shown above, that is a dark, weathered look but considerable grace. The catalogue notes that "for a similarly draped figure see the muse Clio in the famous relief of the Apotheosis of Homer by Archaelaos of Priene (circa 200-150). She is shown holding a volumen in her right hand and leaning against a rock with her left hand." This lot has an estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $69,750.
The most impressive sculpture in the auction is Lot 117, shown at the top of this article, a "monumental' marble figure of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, or Marcus Aurelius," Roman Imperial, circa 138-180 A.D. The 51 3/4-inch-high, headless and legless torso was exhibited in the entrance hall of 540 Madison Avenue in New York from 1990 to 2001. It has a very modest estimate $125,000 to $175,000. It sold for $214,750. A related example of this is the cuirassed statue of Marcus Aurelius from the Villa Borghese. The ornate corselet is carved with confronted rampant griffins.
Lot 118, shown above, is a fine marble portrait head of Socrates, circa 1st Century A.D. It is 13 3/4 inches and has a modest estimate of $60,000 to $90,000. It sold for $87,000.
Lot 111 is a 26 1/2-inch-high bronze statue of a youth, Roman Republic or early Roman Imperial, circa 1st Century B.C. that was once in the William Herbert Hunt Collection. It is missing part of the youth's right thumb and has a somewhat ambitious estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It failed to sell. The sculpture is impressive and in generally very good condition, but neither dramatic nor very poetic nor very romantic.
Much smaller, but much more dramatic is Lot 108, a bronze figure of Athena Promachos, Roman Imperial, circa 1st Century A.D., a 5 3/16-inch high statue that has quite remarkable detailing. The lot is from the collection of the lat Marion Schuster of Lausanne and has a conservative estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It failed to sell.
Another very fine bronze is Lot 109, which depicts Hermes and is dated Roman Imperial, circa 2nd Century A.D. The 6 3/4-inch-high statue was once in the collection of Charles Gillet of Lausanne and has a modest estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It sold for $14,400.
Lot 76 is a Hellenistic silver statuette of Apollo, circa 2nd/early 1st Century B.C. The catalogue notes that the 4-inch-high statue is "probably a portrait of a Hellenistic prince in the guise of the god, perhaps Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus, or his son Ariarthes IX Eusebes Philopator of Cappadocia," adding that his extended right hand holds a bow and his left hand holds a drinking horn. There is considerable encrustation along the right arm but the figure has great grace. The lot has an estimate of $90,000 to $120,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 116 is a wonderful bronze incense burner, eastern Roman or Partian Empire, circa 2nd/3rd Century A.D., which is 11 1/4 inches long and has a lid surmounted by an opening in the form of a larger panther head in front of a diminutive winged Nike holding a wreath and a globe. The burner also has an eagle with folded wings standing atop a ram head at each front corner and the handle terminates in a small panther head. This lot has a very conservative estimate of $12,000 to $18,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 130 is a fine Roman mosaic panel, circa 1st Century A.D., that depicts an octopus surrounded by five different fish. The panel measures 23 3/4 by 48 1/2 inches and has an estimate of $40,000 to $60,000. It sold for $148,750.
The piece de resistance in the Egyptian section of the auction is Lot 45, a fragmentary faience figure of a hippopotamus, 12th Dynasty, 1938-1759 B.C. The 4 3/4-inch long work has its massive head resting on the foreleg, the head and body painted in black detailing of aquatic plants and remains of a bright turquoise blue glaze. The work is mostly white and full of charm and has a very conservative estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It failed to sell.
Another impressive fragmentary work is Lot 21, a granite head of the Goddess Sekhmet, Thebes, 18th Dynasty, period of Amenhotep III 1390-1353 BC., The 10-inch-high fragment is the front of the head of Sekhmet, which is in excellent condition and was one of more than 600 statues of the goddess of war and protector of the king that lined the courts and passageways of the great temple Amenhotep III built in honor of the goddess Mut at Thebes. The work was once in the collection of the Ofner Collection in Germany and has a conservative estimate of $75,000 to $125,000. It sold for $75,500.
For those who find wonder in minature worlds, Lot 8 will be hard to resist. It consists of two exquisite Egyptian amulets, Late Period, 716-30 B.C. One is a hematite amulet of hippopotamus-headed Thoeris striding with her arms beside her pregnant belly and wearinga tripartite wig surmounted by a flaring cylindrical headdress, her crocodile tail incised with a chevron pattern. It is 1 1/8 inches high. The other is a lapis lazuli amulet of a coiled lion-headed cobra and is 15/16 of an inch high. The lot has a conservative estimate of $2,000 to $3,000. The lot sold for $3,900.
Lot 22 is a 7-inch-high wood figure of a man, 18th Dynasty, Amarna Period, reign of Akhenaten, 1353-1336 B.C., which was formerly on loan to the Princeton University Art Museum from 1989 to 1997 and was once in the collection of Ernest Brummer of New York. The catalogue quotes John Cooney that the sculpture's provenance is "tantalizing," stating that "no wooden sculptures have been recovered from El-Amarna, only isolated fragments of them due, apparently, to the ravages of termites." "The most plausible provenance of this piece," the quotation continued, "is the so-called tomb at Tutu at Medinet Gurob at the entrance to the Faiyum. There, at the turn of the century, a group of wooden statuettes and wooden objects were discovered by the natives and the finds dispersed on the market."
The lot has an estimate of $70,000 to $100,000. It sold for $126,750.
Lot 28, shown above, is an impressive kneeling bronze figure of a king, 21st/22nd Dynasty, 1075-716 B.C., that is 6 1/4 inches high and has very fine detailing and remains of gilding. It has an estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 29 is a 4 3/4-inch-high bronze figure of a cat, 22nd/26th Dynasty, 944-525 B.C., that was once in the collections of Mathias Komor and Mrs. John Hay Whitney. The quite lovely statuette has an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It failed to sell.
Lot 30 is a 10 1/2-inch-high bronze figure of Wadjet, 21st/26th Dynasty, 1075-525 B.C., that was once in the collection of Charles Dikran Kelekian of New York. The handsome statue of the seated lion goddess has a conservative estimate of $10,000 to $15,000. It sold for $10,200.
In the Near East section of the auction, one of the highlights is Lot 155, an Achaemenid Silver Rhyton, circa 5th Century B.C. This vessel is 7 3/8-inches high and in very good condition and has a modest estimate of $100,000 to $150,000. It sold for $87,000. The finely modeled head of the couchant winged caprid at the base of the vessel is very impressive.
Sumerian figures are among the choicest of all antiquities. Lot 145 is a Sumerian gypsum figure of a worshipper, Early Dynastic II, circa 2750-2600 B.C. The 17 3/8-inch-high statue was once in the collections of Marion Schuster of Lausanne and Mathilde de Goldschmidt Rothschild. While the bearded figure with clasped hands in front of his bare chest cannot compare with the finely modeled figures of Sumerian rulers, it is relatively large and its garment is nicely carved, but only the front half is carved and was probably a relief. It has an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. It sold for $225,750.
Far more alluring is Lot 146, shown above, a Sumerian limestone head of a woman, early Dynastic II/III, circa 2750-2500 B.C. This 4-inch-high head was formerly on loan to the Brooklyn museum of Art from 1989 to 2001 and has been consigned by the Stansfeld Collection. It has a modest estimate of $20,000 to $30,000. It failed to sell. The woman's head has one steatite inlaid eye remaining and a very elaborate and impressive striated coiffure.
While the Sumerian lady is quite lively and interesting, Lot 144 is a most imposing basalt House God figure, probably from Golan, Chalcolithic, 4th Millennium B.C., that is highly abstract and fine. The 10 3/8-inch-high zoomorphic form with a flaring cylindrical body recessed at the top has a very conservative estimate of $6,000 to $9,000. It sold for $19,150.