Rome, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. Finely cast via the lost wax (cire perdue) process, a section of a bronze face presenting a naturalistic ear with wavy locks of hair above it and over the cheek. Just whose ear could this belong to - a senator, a hero, a deity? My imagination leads me to images of the legendary King Midas before he made a terrible mistake which would result in his ears resembling those of a donkey. Yes, most of us know the story about Midas' wish that everything he touched would turn to gold. Silly Midas would nearly starve to death when his food became inedible gold. But that was not his only misstep. Another story tells of the king judging a musical contest between Apollo and Pan. Unfortunately, when Midas ruled against Apollo, the god transformed Midas' ears into those of an ASS! Custom stand. Size: 2.25" W x 3.25" H (5.7 cm x 8.3 cm); 4.25" H (10.8 cm) on included custom stand.

What can I say - the ear just sparked my imagination. But seriously, though a fragment, this piece represents the Classical artists' approach to depicting realistic human anatomy despite this writer's digression into the mythical realm.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#127663

A section from an applique or mask with small loss to upper end and center of ear. Lovely blue-green patina.