119 - A FINE WHITE MARBLE HEAD OF A RAM, ROMAN EMPIRE, 2ND CENTURY AD

A FINE WHITE MARBLE HEAD OF A RAM, ROMAN EMPIRE, 2ND CENTURY AD Finely carved from white marble as the head of a ram, the elongated muzzle with subtly modeled nostrils and mouth beneath almond-shaped eyes framed by gently raised lids. The horns curl into powerful and elegant spirals beside the head, their natural ridges indicated by finely incised grooves, with the small ears emerging behind. Provenance: A private collection in Southern France, where, according to tradition, the present lot has remained in the same family for several generations. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Old wear and weathering, with obvious losses, scattered chips and abrasions, particularly to the muzzle, signs of weathering, and encrustations. The marble with an attractive warm honey-beige tone and beautifully smooth, lustrous wear from age and handling. Weight: 602 g (excl. stand), 1,209 g (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 7.8 cm, width 8.5 cm (excl. stand), height 18 cm (incl. stand) With an associated marble stand. (2) The ram occupied a prominent place in Roman ritual and decorative imagery. Sheep and goats were among the domestic animals regularly offered in Roman religious sacrifice, while the ram’s head itself became a recurring ornamental motif on altars, funerary monuments, and other architectural furnishings. Particularly characteristic are compositions in which garlands or festoons are suspended from the horns. A Roman marble funerary altar, circa 14-68 AD, in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (object number 25.78.29), is decorated with heavy garlands suspended from ram heads, a scheme which the museum notes derives from the decoration of public sanctuaries. A Roman marble altar of the 1st-2nd century AD in the British Museum, (registration number 1907,1214.3), similarly bears floral festoons suspended from ram heads at its corners. The present fragment captures the animal with remarkable naturalism: the heavy curling horns, gently projecting ears, narrow muzzle, and softly rounded facial planes create an immediately recognizable and surprisingly expressive image. Its fragmentary rear and lower edge suggest that the head once formed part of a larger sculptural or decorative ensemble, although its precise original function cannot now be determined. Particularly appealing is the mellow honey-colored surface, which emphasizes the softly worn contours while preserving the finely incised ridges of the horns. Literature comparison: Compare a related Roman marble ram’s head fragment, probably Hadrianic, from a sarcophagus at Sardis, with a tightly curling horn and remains of an adjoining garland, in the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis, inventory number S60.032. Compare a closely related Roman marble ram’s head, 2 nd century AD, 17.1 cm high, in the Barakat Gallery, London, stock number PF.5275. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Gorny & Mosch, Munich, 16 December 2015, lot 13 Estimate: EUR 8,000 or approx. EUR 10,500 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Roman marble head of a panther, 1st-2nd century AD, 13.2 cm long. Expert remark: Compare the closely related dating, white fine-grained marble medium, small scale, isolated animal head, weathered surface, and similarly fragmentary state, with the head likewise broken at the neck. Note the slightly larger size (13.2 cm) and different animal subject. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s Paris, 22 April 2022, lot 5 Mid-Estimate: EUR 20,000 or approx. EUR 23,000 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A Roman marble table leg with ram’s head, circa 2nd century AD, 75.5 cm high. Expert remark: Compare the closely related dating, stone, ram’s head, prominent curling horns, and note the significantly more weathered surface. Note that the lot is a table support and therefore considerably larger (75.5 cm).