Greek Hellenistic Pottery Seated Male w/ Rooster
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Description
Greece, Hellenistic period, ca. 3rd century BCE. A charming, mold-made terracotta figure of a young man, nude aside from a rounded cap and a himation over one shoulder, seated and holding a large rooster under one arm. There are traces of white pigment on the man's face, and red pigment on the rooster's crest; a pink or orange pigment is in the lower profile areas of the himation. Size: 4" W x 6.1" H (10.2 cm x 15.5 cm)
The rooster may represent a beloved pet or a potential sacrifice. Roosters were a popular pet for young boys in Greece, as exemplified by the sculpture held by the Met linked to below. Animal gifts - especially roosters - also seem to have been common gifts from older men to younger ones. However, in the Hellenistic period, Greeks also had extensive cultural contact with the Egyptians, and in Egyptian cults roosters were a common sacrifice in rituals relating to the underworld and afterlife. Burnt chicken bones have been found at several Greek sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess Isis.
See a similar example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247505
Provenance: private Secaucus, New Jersey, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s
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.
#131117
The rooster may represent a beloved pet or a potential sacrifice. Roosters were a popular pet for young boys in Greece, as exemplified by the sculpture held by the Met linked to below. Animal gifts - especially roosters - also seem to have been common gifts from older men to younger ones. However, in the Hellenistic period, Greeks also had extensive cultural contact with the Egyptians, and in Egyptian cults roosters were a common sacrifice in rituals relating to the underworld and afterlife. Burnt chicken bones have been found at several Greek sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess Isis.
See a similar example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/247505
Provenance: private Secaucus, New Jersey, USA collection; ex-William Froelich collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired in the 1970s
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.
#131117
Condition
Expertly repaired and restored with overpainting along the repair lines; this is mainly evident on the back and legs. Nice remaining detail and some pigment.
Buyer's Premium
- 24.5%
Greek Hellenistic Pottery Seated Male w/ Rooster
Estimate $1,800 - $2,700
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Item located in Louisville, CO, usSee Policy for Shipping
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