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Description

Sarcophagus fragment. Greek culture, Clazomenae, mid 6th - 5th century BC. Terracotta and pigments. Provenance: Private collection of a nobleman, London. Purchased at Galerie Cybele, Paris, France. Auctioned at Christie's New York in 2016. Previously in a private collection in England. Thermoluminescence test attached. Conservation: good condition, no restorations. Measurements: 42.5 x 12.5 cm. The interlacing motif developing on the front face corresponds to a decorative pattern that can be seen in the clazomenian sarcophagi of classical Greece, such as the one preserved in the Altes Museum in Berlin or in the museums of Smyrna: they are bordered with grooved fretwork as the one shown here running along the long sides, while on the short sides there are representations of divinities, shells and homoerotic scenes of young aristocrats. The side preserves Greek geometric fretwork decoration. Clazomenes or Clazomene was an ancient port polis of Ancient Greece, located on the coast of Anatolia bordering the Aegean Sea. The painted terracotta sarcophagi discovered in the necropolis of the local archaeological site are the most prized works of Ionian painting of the 6th century B.C. Many of them are kept in the neighboring museums of Smyrna. Clazomenes was an ally of the Ionian League (or Dodecapolis, which was the confederation of the twelve cities). During the Ionian revolt against the Persians in the early 5th century BC, Clazomenes was moved to an island barely separated from the coast. According to tradition, Alexander the Great connected the island to the mainland by means of an artificial ramp. The city of Urla, which is also a district of the province of Smyrna in Turkey, is located on the site where it once stood. Thermoluminescence test attached.

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Sarcophagus fragment. Greek culture, Clazomenae, mid 6th - 5th century BC. Terracotta and pigments. Provenance: Private collection of a nobleman, London. Purchased at Galerie Cybele, Paris, France. Auctioned at Christie's New York in 2016. Previously in a private collection in England. Thermoluminescence test attached. Conservation: good condition, no restorations. Measurements: 42.5 x 12.5 cm. The interlacing motif developing on the front face corresponds to a decorative pattern that can be seen in the clazomenian sarcophagi of classical Greece, such as the one preserved in the Altes Museum in Berlin or in the museums of Smyrna: they are bordered with grooved fretwork as the one shown here running along the long sides, while on the short sides there are representations of divinities, shells and homoerotic scenes of young aristocrats. The side preserves Greek geometric fretwork decoration. Clazomenes or Clazomene was an ancient port polis of Ancient Greece, located on the coast of Anatolia bordering the Aegean Sea. The painted terracotta sarcophagi discovered in the necropolis of the local archaeological site are the most prized works of Ionian painting of the 6th century B.C. Many of them are kept in the neighboring museums of Smyrna. Clazomenes was an ally of the Ionian League (or Dodecapolis, which was the confederation of the twelve cities). During the Ionian revolt against the Persians in the early 5th century BC, Clazomenes was moved to an island barely separated from the coast. According to tradition, Alexander the Great connected the island to the mainland by means of an artificial ramp. The city of Urla, which is also a district of the province of Smyrna in Turkey, is located on the site where it once stood. Thermoluminescence test attached.

Estimate 8 000 - 9 000 EUR
Starting price 3 600 EUR

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For sale on Thursday 18 Jul : 15:45 (CEST)
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