**Originally Listed At $600**

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A cast leaded-bronze statuette depicting Hercules (Greek Herakles, Heracles) standing in quintessential contrapposto pose with the Nemean lion's skin draped over his left shoulder, his intimidating club held in his left hand, and his right arm extended. The iconography of this bronze references the legendary hero's first labor when King Eurystheus asked Hercules to bring him the skin of a fierce lion that terrorized the hillside around Nemea - a seemingly impossible task. Despite the fact that initially Hercules' arrows were utterly useless against this threatening beast, our hero ultimately succeeded, clutching the lion in his muscular arms all the while strategically avoiding its claws, finally choking it to death. A marvelous rendering of Hercules displaying the ancient artist's strong interest in delineating physiognomy and movement of Hercules' heroic yet human form. Size: 1.875" W x 3.35" H (4.8 cm x 8.5 cm); 3.75" H (9.5 cm) on included custom stand.

The story of Hercules was a popular one in ancient Rome (with much of it derived, as so many elements of Roman culture were, from Greece - entering Roman culture by way of Etruria). Both Mark Antony and the Emperor Commodus considered him to be a personal patron god. A good example of an Attic piece, a bilingual amphora in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, depicts Hercules wearing the lion skin (99.538) as described by Euripides, "First he cleared the grove of Zeus of a lion, and put its skin upon his back, hiding his yellow hair in its fearful tawny gaping jaws." (Euripides, Hercules, 359).

Provenance: ex-Estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan USA acquired before 2000

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#158887

Loss to right arm and hand as shown. Chip to right foot. Softening of details. Covered in a rich patina.