Bertolami Fine Art - Riversdell Close 27, KT16 9JW Chertsey
Auction 86 - Glyptics and Ancient Jewelry sessione unica
Wednesday 9 December 2020 hours 14:00 (UTC +01:00)
A very fine early Hellenistic gold ring with engraved bezel. Aphrodite and Eros.
A very fine early Hellenistic gold ring with engraved bezel. Aphrodite and Eros.
4th - 3rd century B.C.
Bezel diam : 25 mm
ring : 20 x 15 mm
16,12 gr.
The hoop is rounded without, flat within, ending on a flat large circular bezel. The bezel is engraved with the group of Aphrodite and Eros. The goddess is standing in a contrapposto posture, her right leg slighlty bend forward.She wears a chiton with a himation which shows her body shape by transparency. Turned to the right, she's sprinkling incense on to the flame of a three-legged incense-burner. The little winged god is seated on her right shoulder and turns to crown her. Groundline.
Solid gold. Slight wear marks. Very fine condition and rare specimen. For a similar scene and ring see Metropolitan Museum, NY, inv. 06.1125
Parallels :
Chabouillet, Anatole. Catalogue général et raisonné des camées et pierres gravées de la Bibliothèque impériale. Paris : 1858, n°2630.
Marshall, F.H., 1968,n° 83 et 84
Richter, Gisela M. A. 1920. Catalogue of Engraved Gems of the Classical Style. no. 48, pp. 45-46, pl. 20, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (LIMC). 1984. Vol. 2: Aphrodisias-Athena. "Aphrodite," p. 41, no. 286, pl. 30, Zürich: Artemis Verlag
Property of a gentleman, London. Acquired at Sotheby's, Antiquities, London, 14th Dec. 1990, lot 93
Ex Guilhou Collection
Ex Harari Collection
Published :
Guilhou (de Ricci), n° 289
Guilhou, n° 132
Boardman, GGFR 421, n° 690
Boardman, Scarisbrick, n° 11.