114
A Greek Marble Panther Head
Height 8 x width 5 1/2 inches.
Estimate: $40,000-$60,000
Sold
$55,000
Live Auction
Antiquities & Ancient Art
Size
Height 8 x width 5 1/2 inches.
Description
A Greek Marble Panther Head
Circa 3rd-2nd Century B.C.
Height 8 x width 5 1/2 inches.
Condition
Intact as preserved with no evidence of restoration. Overall Attic orange surface patina. A small gash on the left ear, cheek and neck, with a few other minor chips and abrasions throughout. The break at the neck is uneven with a hole drilled in the center. It is currently mounted on a movable marble base with steel dowel. Fine, stable and attractive condition overall. Height with stand 10 1/2 inches.
Provenance
Provenance:
Mr. A.T. Ganasoulis Collection, Patra, Greece, prior to 1906.
Acquired by Alexis Nascu, Greece, 8 January 1906; thence by descent. (Accompanied with purchase record copy)
Note:
This remarkable Hellenistic head belonged to a life-size figure of a marble panther. In Greek and Roman art, panthers would often appear alongside Dionysos, the god of wine. There are known examples in marble of the two together in playful jest (see Dionysos with a Panther at The Hermitage Museum, Inv. no. ГР-4166) and in triumphal processions with other exotic and fantasy creatures (see Sarcophagus with the Triumph of Dionysus at The Walters Museum, Inv. no. 23.31).