Lot 12
Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 2nd century CE. A finely carved relic of Roman portraiture, this marble fragment preserves the draped shoulders and chest of a once full-length bust, its folds frozen mid-sweep with remarkable sensitivity to weight and movement. Though the head is lost to time, the dynamism and detail in the surviving portion offer a vivid sense of presence - the garment clings across the body in rhythmic pleats, cascading across the chest and wrapping beneath the arm in a naturalistic loop. The curve of the folds suggests a standing figure, possibly slightly turned, with fabric gathered in a style reminiscent of the himation or toga. Size: 11.3" L x 17.9" W x 12.2" H (28.7 cm x 45.5 cm x 31 cm); 17" H (43.2 cm) on included custom stand.
Carved in creamy white marble with subtle veining, the fragment bears the hallmarks of the Roman Imperial sculptural tradition - a mastery of surface and volume, as well as an aesthetic grounded in classical Greek prototypes yet charged with Roman individuality. The tool marks and chisel work remain visible in sheltered recesses, while the smoother planes show the wear of age and exposure, softened by centuries of burial or architectural reuse.
Busts such as this would have adorned public buildings, ancestral halls, or funerary monuments, celebrating civic virtue, lineage, or personal achievement. While the identity of the subject is now unknowable, the quality of the carving and the enduring strength of the composition speak to its original prestige. The hollowed core at the back suggests it may have once been fixed to a niche or architectural support.
The Roman practice of erecting portrait busts formed a vital link between memory, representation, and public life. Even in fragmentary state, this piece captures that impulse - to shape marble into something more than form, something nearly eternal.
Provenance: private Nashville, Tennessee, USA collection; ex- Christianne Engs Gallery, Melrose, California, USA
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#194932
- Condition: Fragmentary as shown with some stable fissures and chipping in areas. Good remaining detail.
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