Francesca Hickin
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Lot 97*
A Greek bronze figure of the King Lycurgus
28 November 2017, 10:30 GMT
London, New Bond Street£4,000 - £6,000
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A Greek bronze figure of the King Lycurgus
Hellenistic period, circa 1st Century B.C.
The naked bearded figure wearing a Phyrgian cap and soft ankle boots, depicted twisting in the act of ripping two large vine creepers entwined with ivy which wrap around the back and arms of the king, 7.5cm high
Hellenistic period, circa 1st Century B.C.
The naked bearded figure wearing a Phyrgian cap and soft ankle boots, depicted twisting in the act of ripping two large vine creepers entwined with ivy which wrap around the back and arms of the king, 7.5cm high
Footnotes
Provenance:
Private collection, Switzerland, acquired in the UK in 1984.
Anonymous sale; Bonhams, 27 April 2006, lot 123.
According to Greek mythology, Lycurgus, king of the Edones in Thrace, banned the cult of Dionysus. Various versions of the myth survive, as later poets expanded on Homer's original telling of the tale. Some relate how Lycurgus was punished by Dionysus with insanity. In his madness, Lycurgus killed his son, having mistaken him for ivy to be pruned. The land of Thrace was then cursed by Dionysus to remain dry and barren until the death of the king. The Edonians, therefore, carried Lycurgus onto Mount Pangaeum, where he was torn to pieces by horses (see W. Smith, Classical Dictionary of Biography and Geography, London, 1972, p. 397).