MONUMENTAL HELLENISTIC FRAGMENT OF A RAM'S HEAD
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, C. 1ST CENTURY B.C.
£10,572
Auction: 13 March 2025 from 13:00 GMT
Description
carved marble, the animal depicted with large vigilant eyes beneath heavy lids, the bulges under the eyes carefully rendered, thick curling fur framing the forehead and cheeks, the massive rounded snout prominently shown, remains of the horns still preserved, raised on a bespoke mount
Dimensions
34cm high
Provenance
Private collection, Mendrisio, Switzerland, acquired in the early 1980s.
Footnote
The head may have originally been part of a significant mythological composition, possibly illustrating the escape of Ulysses’ men from the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus. A comparison can be made with the ram figure housed in the Galeria Doria Pamphili in Rome. Alternatively, the head might have served as an architectural element, such as a corner piece from a tomb altar of considerable size. For reference, see the altar in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Accession Number 25.78.29. For stylistic parallels, consider the notable ram’s head from the Norbert Schimmel (1905–1990) collection, sold at Christie’s London, 3 July 2019, lot 97.