125 - AN ETRUSCAN BRONZE STAMNOS HANDLE WITH SILENUS MASKS, CIRCA 5TH-4TH CENTURY BC

AN ETRUSCAN BRONZE STAMNOS HANDLE WITH SILENUS MASKS, CIRCA 5TH-4TH CENTURY BC Finely cast, the curved and fluted handle supported by two lanceolate leaves, each decorated in high relief with a stylized head of Silenus, marked by bulging eyes, prominent noses, and long, finely incised beards, flanked by pointed ears and surmounted by a symmetrical pair of volutes. Provenance: A private collection in Switzerland, by the 1980s. Collection of Byron Zoumboulakis, Geneva, by 1997. A private collection in the United Kingdom, acquired from the above. A copy of the invoice from Byron Zoumboulakis, dated 15 October 1997, confirming the attribution and dating above, accompanies this lot. Byron Theodore Zoumboulakis (1923-2006) was a Greek antiquities dealer and collector based in Geneva, active from the late 1950s through the 1990s. He belonged to the Zoumboulakis family, whose involvement in the art and antiquities trade began in Athens in 1912, when Theodoros A. Zoumboulakis established an antique shop specializing in rare works of art and ancient objects. Byron continued this family tradition from Geneva, selling part of the inventory assembled by Theodoros during the 1960s. With a distinguished international clientele, he handled selected works from across the ancient Mediterranean, many of which subsequently entered major public and private collections, establishing him as a prominent figure in the European antiquities market during the second half of the 20th century. Condition: Very good condition with expected wear, casting irregularities, signs of prolonged burial, areas of corrosion, light warping, minor dents. The bronze with a rich, naturally grown patina with vibrant malachite encrustations. Weight: 834.1 g (excl. stand), 1.2 kg (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 15.5 cm (excl. stand), 21.8 cm (incl. stand) With an associated wood and metal stand. (2) These heavy, solid-cast handles were once attached to a stamnos, a large vessel used in the Greek world primarily for holding or mixing wine, a function closely reflected in the recurrent use of Dionysiac imagery, including representations of the wine god’s companion and tutor Silenus. The form was later adopted by the Etruscans during the Late Classical and Hellenistic periods, when bronze stamnoi were also used as containers for cremated remains. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related Etruscan bronze handle of a vessel with Silenus mask, dated 450-400 BC, 14.3 cm long, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 10.210.32. Compare a closely related Etruscan bronze stamnos handle, 16 cm long, in the Musée du Louvre, inventory number MND 411. Compare a closely related Etruscan bronze stamnos handle with Silenus heads, dated to the 5th-4th century BC, 15.9 cm long, in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, object number 82.202. Compare a closely related Stamnos handle with Silenus masks, dated to the late 5ht-4th century BC, illustrated in David Gordon Mitten, Master Bronzes from the Classical World, 1967, p. 196, no. 201. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s New York, 13 December 2013, lot 122 Price: USD 3,750 or approx. EUR 4,700 (for two) converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A pair of Etruscan bronze stamnos handles, circa late 5th-4th century BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, decorative motifs, and manner of casting. Note the size (13.7 cm).