Archaic Greek Bronze Boar

Solid cast, the sow standing four-square with cloven hooves, naturalistically depicted, with the short bristling crest peaked along the entire length of her body from the crown of her head to the tail, conforming to the contours of her back, the long-tapering muzzle flaring at the snout, with bulging lidded eyes and erect ears, the tail curling over upon itself, with a row of eight swollen teats along her belly, on a thin integral rectangular plinth, a hooked tenon below. The scale, quality, and naturalism of this boar are extraordinary.

Intact

Art market, prior to 1991;

The Thétis Foundation;

Sotheby’s, London, 23 May 1991, lot 54;

Ex – private collection, Switzerland, 2004.

For a similar example, only one-third the size, see no. C 34, p. 171 in Kunze, Meisterwere Antiker Bronzen und Metallarbeiten aus der Sammlung Borowski. For a naturalistic boar, slightly later in date, from the rim or shoulder of a vessel, see no. 434 in Comstock and Vermeule, Greek, Etruscan & Roman Bronzes in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.