A ROMAN BRONZE CERBERUS

CIRCA 1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN BRONZE CERBERUS
CIRCA 1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
The triple-headed guard dog of the underworld with three canine heads, the larger central head upraised and turned to its right, and two smaller heads, that to the left also turned to its right, that to the right looking up and slightly to its left, two of the heads with upright triangular ears, one with the ears folded back, the fur rendered by neat incision
4 in. (10.1 cm.) long

Provenance

French Private Collection.
with Royal-Athena Galleries, New York, 1989.

Literature

C.C. Vermeule and J.M. Eisenberg, Catalogue of the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Bronzes in the Collection of John Kluge, New York and Boston, 1992, no. 88-107.

Lot Essay

According to Woodford and Spier (p. 32, "Kerberos" in LIMC), "in Roman art, Kerberos not only appears in the traditional context of Herakles' labour and as a companion of Hades and denizen of the Underworld, but also in association with Serapis and other syncretised versions like Jupiter-Serapis, Hades-Serapis, etc."

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