Caligula Cuirassed

Caligula Cuirassed

Augustus

Augustus- Kunst Historical Museum

Quality portrait from the Claudian Period 41-54- A.D.


Augustus- (Educational Use Only)

Augustus


Claudius

Caligula Seated-

Messalina


Livia- Spain

Germanicus-Terme


Augustus- (Educational Use Only)

Height: 11.1 cm (4 3/8 in.); diameter: 10.1 cm (4 in.); width: 16.8 cm (6 5/8 in.)
Silver, with traces of gold leaf

Classification: Vessels

Two handled wine cup (skyphos) with traces of gold leaf on surface. In repoussé, are scenes related to Bacchic (Dionysos) ritual. In the center of one side is a herm of Priapus, a rustic god of fertility, whose obtrusive penis was removed in antiquity. Nearby is another small herm that stands on a colonnette close to the right handle. The scene is set outdoors, and a curtain, portable altar, and pillar with basket of wine cups are present. Bacchic theater masks are present as is a child bringing a goat for sacrifice.

On the opposite side at left is a flowering tree. In front, a child brings a cock to fight while on right are a satyr herm, incense burner and ritual vessels on an altar. There is a fighting cock below. On the handles and foot is a delicate floral decoration. Floral shrubs and theatrical masks flank the handles, and a filleted pine-cone thyrsus angles right from side 1 to side 2. The smooth liner of the bowl is intact; only a few tiny losses are present.

Inscribed under the foot are the letters SISIMIS, possibly the owner's name.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston- Educational Use Only

Head of Augustus, Roman Period, 27–20 B.C.
Egyptian
Blue-green (glassy?) faience; H. 2 5/8 in. (6.8 cm)
Purchase, Edward S. Harkness Gift, 1926 (26.7.1428 (The Metropolitan Museum-Used under educational guidelines only.


Statue of a togatus, ca. 14–9 B.C.; Augustan
Roman
Marble; H. 77 5/8 in. (1.97 m)
Gift of John D. Crimmins, 1904 (04.15) (educational Guidelines Only)

Roman, Imperial, later Julio-Claudian AD 40-68. Bronze, Height: 42 cm.

The ancient Roman goddess Victory was not a vanquisher of victims but a provider of triumphs. The ancient historian Cassius Dio recorded that when Octavian (later the emperor Augustus) returned to Rome in 29 BC after conquering Egypt, "he erected a statue of Victory ... to show that it was from this goddess that he had received the empire." This dramatic bronze statuette depicts a winged Victory descending to earth, as we can imagine Octavian's statue must have, carrying the horn of plenty to her chosen beneficiary. Her drapery swirls, baring strong legs, and her sleeveless dress, or chiton, reveals powerful arms.

Statuettes of Victory often trimmed the hands of gigantic statues of Zeus, Athena, Ceres, and other divinities; and they sometimes adorned elaborate furniture or chariots. The Cleveland Victory relates to a group of bronze statuettes in The J. Paul Getty Museum in California, all of which probably come from the same monument. One bears the portraits of two men, whose distinctive hairstyles date the group to the reign of either Claudius or Nero.

A bronze's patina, usually green or blue-green, develops after long exposure to the elements in soil, water, or air. The golden-olive patina of the Cleveland Victory is exceptional.

Leonard C. Hanna, Jr., Fund. 1984.25   (Educational only guidelines)

 
Caligula- Herkalion Museum
 

Caligula- Ny Glyptotek Museum


Caligula- Schloss Fasanerie


Caligula-Louvre





Probably Claudius?

Augustan Statue Base (VROMA.ORG)

Lot 54 is a very nice marble portrait head of the Empress Livia, Roman Imperial, Julio-Claudian, early 1st Century A.D. It is 12 9/16 inches high. The lot has an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000. It sold for $154,000.

Lot 123 is a magnificent Roman bronze figure of Polykleitos's "Diskophoros" that is dated to the Julio-Claudian period, circa late 1st Century B.C./1st Century A.D. The figure, which is missing its right hand and an implement that had been held in the left hand and has a hole between its shoulder blades, is 12 inches high. It has an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It sold for $284,800. The catalogue entry notes that Polykleitos "was one of the most famous and influential Greek sculptors of the High Classical Period" and was "a native of Argos in the Peloponnesus...[and] flourished circa 460-420 B.C....None of the master's original works are known to have survived, but several are recognized in Roman copies." The catalogue also notes that the "disk-thrower" type of statue "was very popular with the Romans as evinced by the numerous life-sized copies in marble that survive, some of which were used as portrait statues, There are also a number of versions in samller scale in bronze, such as the present example."

The cover illustration of the auction catalogue is Lot 284, a Roman Imperial bronze portrait head of Ptolemy of Mauretania, Julio-Claudian. Dated circa 5-20 A.D., it is 7 inches high. The catalogue provides the following commentary: "Grandson of Anthony and Cleopatra, Ptolemy of Mauretania was the last known descendant of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Born between 19 and 14 B.C., his mother was Cleopatra Selene and father Juba II, a native-born Mauretanian king. Ptolemy ruled jointly with his father after A.D. 21 and became sole ruler after his father's death circa A.D. 23/24. As a client king of Rome he was first criticized for failing to assist Roman generals in their repeated attempts to quell the rebellionof Tacfarinas; Tacitus says of Ptolemy that his youth first made him 'negligent'...of the affairs of the state..., but that his subsequent active military support won him Rome's gratitude." In 40 A.D., he visited Rome at the behest of Emperor Caligula who then had him executed when he noticed that he attracted a lot of attention at a gladiatorial show by the splendor of his purple cloak. The impressive lot has an estimate of $300,000 to $500,000. It sold for $960,000.