Very high herm with bust of Dionysos
€2,950
available
Object number
AR2680-K03
| Object: |
Large herm with Head of Dionysos
|
| Material: |
Red clay
|
| Date: |
About 4th century B.C. till 1st century A.D.. Hellenism till early Roman Empire |
| Description: |
Large herm of Dionysos wearing a large fan-like headdress which is decorated with a radiate pattern on the upper side. The haircut is made up of divided, thick strands of hair falling onto the forehead and straight to the shoulders. Dionysos is shown beardless with a prominent nose and large almond-shaped eyes. Square protrusions on both sides of the pillar represent stylized arms. Male genitals are depicted prominently halfway up the front of the pillar. A large ovoid hole in the back of the pillar was used for the firing of the figure.
|
| Size: |
Height 38 cm, width 9 cm, depth 8.5 cm.
|
| Condition: |
Excellent condition, professionally restored from several fragments. The restorations are only visible upon a detailed inspection and do not disturb the overall overwhelming impression of the figure.
|
| References: |
An almost identical, however less well preserved herm in on exhibition in the J. Paul Getty Museum. Another very similar herm was sold in 2016 for over 6000 pound at Christie's in London verkauft. |
| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2019 from the estate of professor Ritschel, Austria. Exported with the approval of the Austrian federal monuments office. Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Ritschel acquired his collection between 1960 and 1970 from international art dealers.
|
| Prof. Ritschel collection: |
Professor Ritschel played an important role for the culture and historical heritage of Salzburg in Austria. He supported the town's cultural development with great commitment. For example, he sponsored the restoration of the Franciscan Church. As a president of the local museum association he was playing a key role in the erection of the Salzburg Museum in the Neue Residenz. The author and brilliant writer manifested his interest in history in over 50 books and 500 columns telling the story of Salzburg. He lived his passion to communicate history to a broader public. For his achievements Karl-Heinz Ritschel was decorated many times, for example in 1995 when the Republic of Austria awarded its Decoration for Science and Art. Also his private collection of ancient art was impressive, focussing on Roman pottery, glass, bronzes and portraiture. We have taken great care to prepare the apparently unpublished pieces with our usual high claim to quality. Now we would like to give them back to the commitment and care of a well-managed collection. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
|