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A Roman marble male portrait head

This lot has been removed from the website, please contact customer services for more information

Lot 122
A Roman marble male portrait head

Sold for £ 17,500 (US$ 21,822) inc. premium

Antiquities

5 Oct 2011, 10:30 BST

London, New Bond Street

A Roman marble male portrait head
Julio-Claudian Period, circa 1st Century A.D.
Possibly depicting Nero, with thick curling hair falling at the brow and low at the nape of the neck, with sideburns extending to the jawline, the face with strong features including heavily lidded eyes, a prominent chin and nose, 10¾in (27.3cm) high, mounted

Footnotes

  • Provenance:
    German private collection, acquired in 1960.

    Literature:
    Portraits of Nero demonstrate similar facial features such as the protuberant brow, thick bridge of the nose, dimples at the corners of his lips, prominent chin and heavy neck. However the curling hair indicates that this portrait could date from the early 50s A.D., predating Nero's characteristic brushed forward hair. Coins from 51-54 depict him with 'a full head of tousled hair that is brushed from the crown of his head, low on his forehead. It also grows long on the nape of the neck following the trend established by his Julio-Claudian predecessors.' Cf. D. Kleiner, Roman Sculpture, Yale, 1992, pp. 136-9, figs. 111-3.

    For a related portrait of a Julio-Claudian prince with smooth facial features, similar flowing hair, longer at the back and with sideburns, cf. a portrait identified as Germanicus at the Musée du Louvre, Ma 3135;
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A Roman marble male portrait head
A Roman marble male portrait head
A Roman marble male portrait head
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Auction information

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Buyers' Premium and Charges

For all Sales categories, buyer's premium excluding Cars, Motorbikes, Wine, Whisky and Coin & Medal sales, will be as follows:

Buyer's Premium Rates
27.5% on the first £20,000 of the hammer price;
26% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £20,000 up to and including £700,000;
20% of the hammer price of amounts in excess of £700,000 up to and including £4,500,000;
and 14.5% of the hammer price of any amounts in excess of £4,500,000.

VAT at the current rate of 20% will be added to the Buyer's Premium and charges excluding Artists Resale Right.

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