162 - 'The Kenzo' Roman Marble Head of the Philosopher Hermarchus. The 'Kenzo' Collection

'The Kenzo' Roman Marble Head of the Philosopher Hermarchus. The 'Kenzo' Collection Circa 1st-2nd century A.D. A finely carved marble portrait head of a middle-aged bearded male, possibly Hermarchus, with short, softly modelled wavy hair, deep-set and defined eyes, the lips almost hidden among the details of the beard; the facial expression appears stern but thoughtful, perhaps derived from the tradition of Roman Imperial portraiture; mounted on a custom-made stand. Cf. Di Cesare, R., Ritratti di intellettuali tra mondo greco e romano, in La Rocca, E., Parisi Presicce, C., Lo Monaco, A., Ritratti. Le tante facce del potere, Roma Musei Capitolini 10 marzo- 25 settembre 2011, Roma 2011, pp. 93-107; Weber, M., ' berlegungen zum Eikon des Platon von Silanion,' in Thetis, vol.19, 2012, p.26, note 37, fig.9a; Mastronuzzi, G., Immagini di poeti e filosofi della Magna Grecia, in Quaderni di Atene e Roma , Pubblicazione dell Associazione Italiana di Cultura Classica, 5; Capasso, M., Cinque incontri sulla Cultura Classica, Lecce 2015, pp. 55-70. Greek and Roman sculpture in stone 400 BC AD 300, Charles Ede Ltd 2007, no 9; Martha Weber, ' berlegungen zum Eikon des Platon von Silanion,' Thetis, vol.19, 2012, p.26, note 37, fig.9a. 2.34 kg total, 22.8 cm high including stand (9 in.). [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions Website] Kenzo collection, the late fashion designer, acquired in the early 1980s. Ex French private collection. Charles Ede, 12 June 2008. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13436-262427. The philosopher represented here must have been very important, and it can be assumed we can recognise one of the valuable copies, known in different variants, of the portrait of Hermarchus, successor of Epicurus at the head of the Epicurean School, who lived at Mytilene between 325 and 250 B.C., for its similarity with the portrait of the same philosopher at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (inv. no.2689). TimeLine Auctions follows a rigorous vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists. See our website for more information.