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An Italic bronze muscle cuirass image 1
An Italic bronze muscle cuirass image 2
Lot 85

An Italic bronze muscle cuirass

28 November 2017, 10:30 GMT
London, New Bond Street

£10,000 - £15,000

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An Italic bronze muscle cuirass
Magna Graecia, circa 4th Century B.C.
Each almost square shaped panel cast with raised anatomical details, the front section with stylised collar bone, pectorals, rib cage and navel, with perforated edges, the back panel with double ridge spinal column, 30cm x 30cm and 31cm x 30.5cm

Footnotes

Provenance:
Saver G. Ugust collection, West Germany, 1970s-1980s.
Spanish art market, 2013.

There is a similar stylised Italic muscle cuirass in the British Museum (no. 1902,0428.2) which is also composed of almost square panels with perforated edges. Goldsworthy has suggested that such a cuirass may have been worn by a hoplite (A. Goldsworthy, The Complete Roman Army, London, 2003, p. 21). These heavily-protected spearsmen were probably first introduced to Italy via the Greek colonies.

Additional information

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