Francesca Hickin
Head of Department
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Lot 111*
A Roman bronze Triton
7 December 2021, 12:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£8,000 - £12,000
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Anna Marston
Associate Specialist
A Roman bronze Triton
Circa 2nd-3rd Century A.D.
Depicted nude with his soft muscular body erupting from waves, looking to his left, with a full beard and his wavy locks surmounted by a wreath, 18cm high
Circa 2nd-3rd Century A.D.
Depicted nude with his soft muscular body erupting from waves, looking to his left, with a full beard and his wavy locks surmounted by a wreath, 18cm high
Footnotes
Provenance:
Private collection, France, since the 1950s.
with Alain Chenel, Paris.
Private collection, Paris, acquired from the above 27 March 2008.
Although the head and wreath are reminiscent of depictions of Neptune, the positioning of the body is more akin to known sculptures of Tritons; the long tails of the Tritons and how they attach to the body pushes their torso into a slightly arched position. For two other Tritons in a similar position, and also depicted nude, see The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, acc. no. 85.AM.163 and The British Museum, London, acc. no. 1824,0488.1.
To the Ancient Greeks, Triton was the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite and, unlike his anthropomorphic father, was always depicted with a fish tail. His main attribute was a conch shell which when blown allowed him to control the ocean's waves. Later in the ancient world, Triton came to be the generic plural term for 'merman', with groups of mermen appearing on vases and sculpture together.