CIRCA 1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.

Details

A ROMAN MARBLE TORSO OF VENUS
CIRCA 1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
25 1⁄2 in. (65 cm.) high

Provenance

Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris and Geneva; thence by descent to the present owner.

Special notice

This lot has been imported from outside of the UK for sale and placed under the Temporary Admission regime. Import VAT is payable at 5% on the hammer price. VAT at 20% will be added to the buyer’s premium but will not be shown separately on our invoice. Following the auction, this lot will be stored at Crozier Park Royal and will be available for collection from 12.00pm on the second business day after the sale. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Crozier Park Royal. All collections from Crozier Park Royal will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 I Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Claudio Corsi Specialist, Head of Department

ccorsi@christies.com +44 (0) 20 7389 2607

Lot Essay

Despite its fragmentary nature, this nude torso can be ascribed to a type of Venus Pudica, the Capitoline Venus. The goddess is shown slighly arched forward while in the act of pointing to her womb, emhpasizing her fertility. This is an pose that was previously interpreted as depicting the goddess being surprised at her bath, hence her attempt to cover her breasts and pubes. For another example in the North Carolina Museum of Art see C. Vermeule, Greek and Roman Sculpture in America, Berkeley and Los Angeles, 1981, no. 140.

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