A ROMAN MARBLE TRAPEZOPHORUS

CIRCA 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN MARBLE TRAPEZOPHORUS
CIRCA 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
In the form of a lion head, his mane with three rows of thick striated curls falling to either side of his face, with alert ears, an mouth open with large teeth and lolling tongue, his broad chest emerging from a single leg with spread claws, the rectangular pillar support emerging from behind
40 in. (102 cm.) high

Provenance

William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and 1st Marquess of Lansdowne (1737-1805) collection; thence by descent at Lansdowne House, Berkeley Square and Bowood, Wiltshire.
Proposed by the 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (1780-1863) to be removed from Lansdowne House `so that they can be placed about the house and gardens at Bowood'.
Removed from Bowood, Wiltshire, prior to the demolition of the main portion of the house in 1955.
The Property of a Nobleman; Garden Statuary, Architectural Fittings and Chimney Pieces at Wrotham Park, Hertfordshire; Christie's, 13 June 1995, lot 220A.

Literature

A Catalogue of the Lansdowne Marbles, Statues, Busts, Bas-Reliefs, and other Distinguished Monuments of Ancient Sculpture, Principally collected in Italy, by the Most Noble William, Marquis of Lansdowne, and Constituting the Celebrated Collection of Lansdowne House in Berkeley Square, Bulmer & Co., 1810, p. 14, no. 96.

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Georgiana Aitken

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Lot Essay

In 1771, the statesman William Petty, 2nd Earl of Shelburne and 1st Marquess of Lansdowne, visited Italy and conceived the idea of adorning his own London residence in Berkeley Square with a collection of sculpture. In so doing, Lord Shelburne was to become one of the great 18th century collectors of ancient sculpture. He was one of the many new collectors of this period inspired by the Grand Tour who were able to acquire sculptures discovered in the excavations carried out in and around Rome.

In order to carry out his plans, Lord Shelburne secured the help of one of the most enterprising and successful artist/explorers of the day, Gavin Hamilton, who, along with Thomas Jenkins, controlled most of the supply of antiquities from Rome sold to English patrons.

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