ROMAN MARBLE HEAD OF SILENUS
C. 1ST - 2ND CENTURY A.D.
£5,544
Classical Ancient Art // Form Through Time
Auction: Classical Ancient Art - 21st March 2024 at 2pm
Description
carved marble, Silenus is shown in characteristic form, with wrinkled brow, bald-headed and wearing a garland of ivy leaves and clusters of berries, his beard in deeply drilled strands, raised on a bespoke stone base
Dimensions
13.5cm tall (unmounted), 20.7cm tall (inc. base)
Provenance
Provenance:
Private collection, Edinburgh, United Kingdom, acquired late 1960’s, thence by family descent
Footnote
Note:
Silenus, although commonly portrayed as a figure of revelry and merriment, is occasionally depicted in a more serious manner due to his association with wisdom and knowledge. As the tutor of Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy, Silenus possessed profound insights and philosophical wisdom that transcended his jovial exterior. In some depictions, particularly those influenced by philosophical or allegorical interpretations, Silenus embodies deeper symbolic meanings related to the duality of human nature, the pursuit of wisdom, and the acceptance of life's complexities.