CLASSICAL PERIOD, CIRCA 470-460 B.C.

Details

A GREEK CHROME CHALCEDONY SLICED BARREL WITH APOLLO AND A FAWN
CLASSICAL PERIOD, CIRCA 470-460 B.C.
9⁄16 in. (1.4 cm.) long

Provenance

Auktion XXVI, Frank Sternberg AG, Zurich, 16 November 1992, lot 522.
with Dr. Elie Borowski (1913-2003), Toronto and Jerusalem; thence by descent.
Acquired by the current owner from the above, 2011.

Literature

G.M. Bernheimer, Ancient Gems from the Borowski Collection, Ruhpolding, 2007, p. 41, no. CG-1.
H.C.L. Wiegandt, Die griechischen Siegel der klassischen Zeit: Ikonographischer Vergleich, Frankfurt, 2009, pp. 27-28; Katalog p. 8, no. Aba2, pl. IV.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Hannah Fox Solomon Head of Department, Specialist

hsolomon@christies.com +1 212 636 2256

Lot Essay

Engraved on the underside is Apollo and a fawn. The god is depicted nude but for a chlamys over his shoulders, draping over both arms. He stands nearly frontally with his head in profile, both arms lowered, the left angled forward, the right holding a curved staff. The fawn stands behind him, facing right. The scene is enclosed within a dotted border.

For another Apollo undoubtedly by the same engraver see the cut carnelian scaraboid in Boston, no. 47 in J.D. Beazley, The Lewes House Collection of Ancient Gems. Both depict the god standing frontally, with shoulder length hair (zazerra-style according to Beazley) and with details of the anatomy delineated by drilled pellets. The Boston version differs in that the fawn’s head looks up towards Apollo, and there is an additional hawk on his left arm and a laurel branch in his hand.

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