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A Roman marble head of Zeus Serapis image 1
A Roman marble head of Zeus Serapis image 2
Lot 177

A Roman marble head of Zeus Serapis

7 July 2016, 10:30 BST
London, New Bond Street

£30,000 - £40,000

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A Roman marble head of Zeus Serapis
Circa 2nd-3rd Century A.D.
The god depicted with thick hair falling in curls along his forehead and at his shoulders, a thick beard and long flowing moustache framing full lips, the large eyes with drilled pupils looking upwards to his right, set on a later marble herm bust, 35cm high; 59cm high including bust

Footnotes

Provenance:
With Galerie Steinitz, Paris, 2012.
French private collection, acquired in the 1950s.

Literature:
The type is after the 3rd Century B.C. Greek sculpture by Bryaxis. The ringlets at the forehead are distinctive and were adopted by the emperor Septimius Severus in some of his portrait sculpture. For a similar depiction of Serapis and discussion of the Bryaxis type, see A. Stewart, Greek Sculpture: An Exploration, New Haven and London, 1990, vol.II, no.633.

Additional information

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