83 - A LARGE ETRUSCAN TERRACOTTA BUST OF A NOBLE WOMAN, CIRCA 3RD-2ND CENTURY BC

A LARGE ETRUSCAN TERRACOTTA BUST OF A NOBLE WOMAN, CIRCA 3RD-2ND CENTURY BC Finely modeled in dark red terracotta and approximately life-size, the youthful woman is shown frontally with an oval face, almond-shaped eyes beneath softly arched brows, a straight nose, and full lips set in a composed expression. Her hair is parted at the center and arranged in dense, finely incised locks framing the face, forming a strikingly modern, almost bob-like coiffure. She wears a close-fitting chiton beneath a himation drawn over the back of her head and diagonally across her chest. The fabric gathers beneath her prominently modeled right breast before falling in broad folds across the torso. Her left arm was originally bent, with the forearm extended horizontally and the hand cast separately. Provenance: With Ghassan T. Rihani, Amman, Jordan. Ex-collection A.M., Ascona and Amsterdam, acquired from the above, and thence by descent in the family. A copy of a signed invoice from Ghassan T. Rihani, dated 13 July 1987, accompanies the lot. On this invoice, the present lot is the last position, listed as “large votive terracotta female bust”. Ghassan T. Rihani (d. 2001) was a Jordan-based antiquities dealer active in the second half of the 20th century. He dealt in ancient Near Eastern and related works of art and became a recognized figure in the regional antiquities trade, supplying private collectors, museums, and the international art market. Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age and size. With firing irregularities, visible losses, scattered nicks, scratches and chips, fine fissures, and encrustations. Several breaks with old fills, touchups, and repairs, as commonly encountered in ancient terracotta sculptures of this scale. Weight: 22.8 kg Dimensions: Height 62 cm Mounted on an associated stand. (2) Expert Note: Terracotta votive offerings became increasingly widespread in the sanctuaries of central Italy from the fifth century BC. Worshippers dedicated them to a deity in connection with a request, a vow, or an expression of thanks. Some represented individual parts of the body and could refer to concerns about health or fertility. Heads and busts offered another means of representing a person before the deity: the figure remained present in the sanctuary after the worshipper had departed. Such images need not have been portraits of identifiable individuals. The impressive, approximately life-size scale of the present bust distinguishes it from the many known smaller votive heads. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Terracotta half-figure of a woman, East Greek, dated late 4 th-3 rd century BC, 13.2 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 26.164.6. Compare a closely related Terracotta relief bust of a woman, East Greek, dated 2 nd half of the 5 th century BC, 15.6 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 26.199.67. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 18 December 1998, lot 96 Price: USD 85,000 or approx. EUR 150,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A large Etruscan terracotta statue of a man, circa 3 rd century BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related material and similar modeling, face, and garments. Note the much larger size (101.6 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s London, 26 April 2012, lot 284 Price: GBP 16,250 or approx. EUR 28,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An Etruscan terracotta votive female bust, circa 3 rd-2 nd century BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related material and similar modeling, face, and garments. Note the much smaller size (40.5 cm).