$37,500
circa mid-2nd century c. e. likely a provincial portrait of the Emperor Antoninus Pius (reign 138-161 C.E.), slightly over-life sized, depicted with a full head of deeply drilled, thick curly locks, and a full beard and mustache, his eyes recessed below overhanging brows, with the pupils drilled and the irises articulated as he gazes upward and to his left, the tear ducts drilled at the inner canthi, the eyelids thick, with horizontal creases across his forehead, his mouth sternly closed with the lips pressed together, the upper lip mostly obscured by the mustache, on a well-modeled strong neck with a crevice at the center, roughly cut on the underside for insertion into a bust or full figure. Height 16 1/2 x width 9 x depth 8 inches. Property from the Collection of Jocelyn Blair Stoller, Tucson, Arizona Note: Although previously sold as a portrait of the Emperor Septimius Severus, this bust more closely resembles the Emperor Antoninus Pius, who ruled Rome from 138-161 AD. Antoninus was a model emperor, spending most of his reign in the capital. This period has been characterized as a time of prosperity, peace and security throughout the empire, virtually unmatched by any other reign. Antoninus Pius came to power at the age of 52, and therefore all of his portrait types portray him as a man of middle age. His appearance greatly resembles his popular predecessor, Hadrian, who was the first emperor to wear a beard. Provenance: Collection of Kelvyn Lilly, Chicago, Illinois Acquir Read more…
Auctioneer:
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
Date:
2017-04-12
