CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C.

Details

A ROMAN MARBLE HEAD OF HERCULES
CIRCA 1ST CENTURY B.C.
The aged hero depicted with curly hair and a full beard, with a small mouth below a thick mustache, a large nose and a ridged brow, his almond-shaped eyes with articulated lids
2 ¼ in. (5.7 cm.) high

Provenance

with the Hilton Hotel Antique Shop, Istanbul.
Acquired by the current owner from the above, 1966; thence by descent.

Special notice

This lot is offered without reserve.

Brought to you by

G. Max Bernheimer

mbernheimer@christies.com +1 212 636 2247

Lot Essay

This depiction of Hercules is based on a Greek 4th century B.C. sculpture by Lysippos known as the Farnese Hercules, which is known to modern audiences from the 3rd century A.D. copy in the National Museum in Naples. Colloquially known as the "Weary" Hercules, the type shows the hero resting after the completion of his twelfth and final labor.

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