Cypriot limestone statuette
€9,700
available
Object number
AR3495
| Object: |
Cypriot limestone statuette
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| Material: |
Limestone with remains of red paint.
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| Period: |
Cypro-Archaic Period. 6th century BC to 5th century BC. |
| Description: |
Statuette of a young man standing upright, his left foot set slightly forward, in the style of a kouros. The man is dressed in a long Greek cloak (himation) with short arms and a hanging ribbon. His long hair is tied behind his ears with a diadem and falls down his neck. The eyes are almond-shaped and the mouth forms a gentle "archaic" smile. Both arms hang down, with the left hand holding a bag of offerings. The small statue could have been placed at a temple to reinforce the owner's plea to the gods. Such votary statuettes made of limestone were an established tradition in Cyprus at that time. However, only a few examples have survived to this day, most of them probably in the Cesnola collection (most of it now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). Such a figure on the art market is therefore a minor rarity. |
| Background: |
The statuette was created during a period of numerous cultural influences. The sculpture's style is clearly Cypriot, while the clothing and depiction are influenced by Greek culture, and at the time of creation the island was probably already under Persian rule. The target market for the figure was evidently the Levant coast, as indicated by the passed down find location Israel.
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| Dimensions: |
32cm high, 9cm wide, 5.5cm deep.
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| Condition: |
Very good condition for a statuette made of soft and erosion-prone limestone. The body is preserved without the need for restoration. Only small damaged spots and minor abrasion, as well as a larger damage at the front of the base and on the left foot. Even traces of the original red paint have been preserved on the feet, left shoulder and legs. The figure stands firmly on the base, but should still be secured against tipping over.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2023 on the US art market. Offered in 2022 at an auction by the US gallery Artemis, estimated at 8,000 to 12,000 USD (including fees corresponding to approximately 10,000 to 15,000 EUR at the time). Previously in a US private collection. Acquired from the US gallery Art for Eternity, Howard Nowes, object no. 15244. Previously in the US private collection Carmel. Acquired in August 1984 from the Israeli art dealer Antiquarium Nurit & Denny Pinkus in Jaffa (Israeli government license no. 20). We have a copy of the dealer's certificate of authenticity for this statuette from 1984. The find location is given as Israel, where the piece was probably imported from Cyprus in archaic times.
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| References: |
Cf. V. Mueller, Frühe Plastik in Griechenland und Vorderasien, plate XLVIII, no. 446. A piece from Cyprus from the archaic period, with Mueller referring to stylistically very similar sculptures from the mainland. Cf. Metropolitan Museum of Art, acc. no. 74.51.2624 and acc. no. 74.51.2511. For speciment on the art market: Similar to Christie's New York auction "Antiquities" 21 April 2021, lot 58, sold for 43,750 USD (equivalent to around 36,000 EUR at the time). Similar to Christie's Paris "Archéologie" auction 20 December 2011, lot 34, sold for 41,800 USD (equivalent to approximately 31,000 EUR at the time). |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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