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Lot 122

A Celtic limestone head of a deity, probably Cernunnos

Antiquities
1 December 2020, 11:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street

Sold for £1,912.50 inc. premium

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A Celtic limestone head of a deity, probably Cernunnos
Circa 1st Century B.C.-3rd Century A.D.
Surmounted by a pair of stylised horns, the face carved with oval eyes, triangular nose and straight mouth, 19.5cm high

Footnotes

Provenance:
Private collection, Worcestershire, formed 1980s.
Private collection, Cornwall, until 2007.
London art market.

Many representations of the Celtic god Cernunnos have been found in North East Gaul and Iberia. A representation of the Celtic antler-horned god Cernunnos can be seen on the Gallo-Roman 'pillar of the boatmen' in the Musée de Cluny. It is thought that Cernunnos was the god of animals, as exemplified by the depiction of a god, possibly Cernunnos, on the large silver Iron Age 'Gundestrup cauldron' in the National Museum of Denmark, where the god is shown with antler horns, sitting cross-legged and surrounded by animals (see J. Farley & F. Hunter (eds), Celts: Art and Identity, London, 2015, p. 269, fig. 258).

Additional information

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