Roman Bronze Bust of a Goddess

This finely cast Roman bronze bust depicts a goddess, shown wearing a chiton drawn in soft, V-shaped folds across the chest. Her idealized face is characterized by full lips, a straight nose, and large almond-shaped eyes articulated with incised irises and dotted pupils, lending the gaze a vivid, alert quality typical of Roman bronze work of the Imperial period.

The goddess’s hair is centrally parted and arranged in gently undulating waves, bound by a narrow diadem and gathered into a knotted coiffure at the crown. Two symmetrical corkscrew curls descend onto the forehead, framing the face and recalling Hellenistic sculptural prototypes. The restrained expression and harmonious proportions suggest a synthesis of Classical idealism with later Roman decorative conventions.

The reverse of the bust is concave, indicating that it was originally conceived as an applique or handle plate, likely affixed to a large bronze vessel or piece of furniture. Decorative busts of this type were widely employed in elite domestic and ceremonial contexts, serving both ornamental and symbolic functions.

While the precise identification of the goddess remains open, the coiffure and serene physiognomy find close parallels in representations of Artemis and Aphrodite. A similar example is published by Barr-Sharrar, illustrating the enduring influence of Hellenistic models on Roman decorative bronzes.

No restorations or repairs; dark patina and areas of cuprite and malachite encrustation

Ex- Mathias Komor (1909-1984), New York;
Ex- Fannette Sawyer, Buffalo, New York, early 1970s;
Art Market, London;
Pars Antiques, UK, 1999;
Ex- US private collection;
Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2005, lot 168;
Sotheby’s, New York, 10 December 2008, lot 36

Triple Gallery, Bremgarten-Bern, Unsere Besten. Antike Skulpturen und Reliefs vereint mit Meisterzeichnungen von der Renaissance bis zur klassischen Moderne, Geburtstagsausstellung, May 23rd–June 30th, 2007, p. 10, no. 7, illus.;
Christie’s, New York, 8 June 2005, Lot 168;
Sotheby’s, New York, 10 December 2008, Lot 36

Triple Gallery, Bremgarten-Bern, Unsere Besten, May 23rd–June 30th, 2007

B. Barr-Sharrar, The Hellenistic and Early Imperial Decorative Bust, Mainz am Rhein, 1987, pl. 22, C66 (Artemis).

P. E. Visconti, Catalogo del Museo Torlonia, 1883, no. 170; and G. Spinola, Il Museo Pio Clementino, vol. 2, Vatican City, 1999, p. 170, no. 41.