Lot 12
Greece, Hellenistic Period, ca. 4th to 1st century BCE. A lovely statue of the goddess Hygeia, the goddess of medicine and health, cast from leaded-bronze. She stands upright with one hand at her waist and the other holding a bowl, dressed in a chiton and himation with naturalistic drapery. Around her shoulders and resting just above the bowl is a snake- a symbol of healing. This ancient statue has developed a lovely deep green patina across the surface, a testament to the age of this goddess. This petite statue of Hygeia was worshiped for protection to prevent illness and promote healing, which was especially useful for outbreaks of plague and other fatal diseases, and today the Bowl of Hygieia with a snake coiled around the chalice stem is a symbol of pharmacology. Size: 1.25" W x 2.8" H (3.2 cm x 7.1 cm)
Hygieia was the daughter (sometimes wife) of Asclepius, the god of medicine, and she also represented cleanliness and good health, - the word "hygiene" comes from her name and physicians swore the Hippocratic oath to Hygieia and other healing gods. The worship of Asclepius often included Hygieia, and the cult of Hygieia as an induvial goddess eventually became popular during the plague of Athens in (430 to 427 BCE). Statues of the goddess for home shrines and temples were quite popular during times of plague and illness as she was associated with the prevention of illness. She is often depicted as a young woman with a large snake wrapped around her body drinking from a vessel she carried.
For a similar example please see the Boston Museum of Fine Arts' website, accession number: 06.2372.
Provenance: private New York, USA collection; ex-private Michigan, USA family collection, acquired in the late 1970s to early 1980s
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#170816
- Condition: Surface wear and old stable fissure across right shoulder and loss to snake in this area. Nicks, and abrasions commensurate with age, and softening to finer details. Lovely patina throughout.
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