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**First Time At Auction**

Classical World, Etruria, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE. A lovely cast-bronze figurine of Hercle (Roman Hercules, Greek Herakles) formed using the lost-wax (cire perdue) method, standing nude with his left leg bent as he raises a club with his right arm, as though about to strike something, and carries his famous Nemean Lion's hide with the forearm of his left. Enveloped in a rich green patina, the mythic hero presents with a slender body and round head featuring an open mouth, a flat nose, recessed eyes, and an arched brow below a full-head of straight hair in a bowl cut. Etruscan art from this period shows the clear influence of Classical Greek models, with fluid poses and a desire to present naturalistic features. Hercle was incredibly popular in ancient Etruria, with scenes from his myth depicted over and over again in all forms of art. Size: 1.125" L x 0.875" W x 3" H (2.9 cm x 2.2 cm x 7.6 cm); 4.125" H (10.5 cm) on included custom stand.

The Etruscans were in contact with the Greek colonies in southern Italy throughout their existence and much of their trade and artwork connections were more closely related to the Greeks than to the Romans with whom they are more often associated. Etruria - modern day Tuscany, Lazio, and Umbria - was rich in metals, including copper, and the Etruscans drew upon their native resources to become master bronzesmiths. Votive figures like this one were traded far and wide according to Pliny the Elder. Titus Livius records that when the consul Marcus Fluvius Flaccus conquered the Etruscan city of Volsinii, they took a line of wagons, including two thousand bronze statues, to Rome, where they were melted down to make coinage to finance the war against Carthage.

The iconography of this bronze references the legendary hero's first labor when King Eurystheus asked Hercle to bring him the skin of a fierce lion that terrorized the hillside around Nemea - a seemingly impossible task. Despite the fact that initially Hercle's 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 Hercle displaying the ancient artist's strong interest in delineating physiognomy and movement of Hercle's heroic yet human form.

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

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#158402

Missing club. Expected surface wear with some light fading of detail commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with nice patina and encrustations throughout.

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