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Lot Description

A Roman Marble Satyr Head

Circa 2nd Century A.D.

Height 8 inches (20.5 cm).

Provenance:
Private Collection, France, acquired in the 1950s.

Credit Municipal de Paris, Paris, 2 April 2016, Lot 216.

Sotheby's, London, Antiquities, 12 June 2017, Lot 35.

Note:
This very expressive head comes from a statue of a youthful satyr. Satyrs were part-human and part-animal creatures in Graeco-Roman mythology; they were conceived of as frolicking denizens in the woodlands, ever ready for mischief in order to satisfy their unrestrained urges. Although in ancient art satyrs were rendered in a range of styles, the youthful satyr (satyriskoi) was introduced in Greek art during the 4th Century B.C. Its popularity as a type is attested by the many later statues of young satyrs produced during the Hellenistic and Roman periods, such as the fine example seen here.

Condition Report

Intact as preserved. Losses to the chin, nose, and ears. Gash to the back of the head on the proper left side. Minor chips throughout. Elements of the face, such as the eyes and cheekbones, well preserved. High gloss surface with encrustation; encrustation confined to back and side of head on the proper right side with slight discoloration. No obvious restoration. The underside uneven and drilled to accommodate a metal dowel, now affixed to a modern base. Height with base 13 inches. Overall in fine attractive condition.

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