: On June 6 at Sotheby's, following an extraordinary achievement in
scholarship, an ancient Roman figure of Aphrodite was reunited
with her head after the two elements had been separated for at
least 50 years. The figure was purchased in the firm's auction of
antiquities for $968,000 by the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory
University in Atlanta. Immediately following the fall of the
hammer, the museum also purchased the head by private sale. This
achievement was made possible by extensive research done by
Sotheby's antiquities experts. The auction totaled $4,584,172,
above a high estimate of $4.1 million.
Richard M. Keresey, worldwide director of Sotheby's antiquities
department, commented, "This is a great moment for the world of
antiquities and one we will always remember. Because of my
colleague Florent Heintz's research skills and astonishing visual
memory, Aphrodite has regained not only her head, but also her
history. We are particularly thrilled that this outstanding
piece, in her entirety, will be on view to the public at such a
wonderful institution."
Jasper Gaunt, curator of Greek and Roman art at the Michael C.
Carlos Museum, said, "This is an incredibly exciting moment for
our institution. We are actively building a collection of ancient
art of peerless quality and this piece is without question the
finest Aphrodite in the United States. The opportunity to own a
piece of this importance in its entirety was irresistible, and
she will assume a position of prominence in our collection. We
are grateful that Sotheby's was able to assist in consummating a
private sale of the figure's head."
Sotheby's experts discovered an engraving of the complete
figure, shown left, that was published in 1836 when the figure
was part of a private collection in Paris. The marble figure of
Aphrodite, Roman Imperial, dating to circa late First
Century/early Second Century AD, was consigned to Sotheby's
June sale of antiquities by Mrs Lawrence Copley Thaw Sr of New
York City.
Nearly three months ago, Mrs Lawrence Copley Thaw Sr of New
York City consigned a marble figure of Aphrodite, Roman Imperial,
dating to circa late First Century/early Second Century AD, to
Sotheby's June sale of antiquities. As is not uncommon with
antiquities, the figure was missing elements, in this case, her
head and one arm. After in-depth research, Sotheby's experts
discovered an engraving of the complete figure, published in 1836
when it was part of a private collection in Paris. The rendering of
the head in the engraving immediately struck Heintz as familiar; he
remembered that Sotheby's had sold a similar head on December 11,
2002, possibly the one belonging to Thaw's headless figure.
Sotheby's then contacted the private collector from Houston who
had purchased the head in 2002, and she graciously offered to
bring it to New York to see if Heintz's theory proved correct.
When the head arrived in New York, Keresey and Heintz realized
that, based on the dimensions of the neck, grain of the marble,
weathering of both pieces, style of carving, tilt and turn of the
head, combined with the existence of the engraving, the head did
in fact belong with the body. The owner of the head then agreed
to make the piece available for private sale exclusively to the
successful purchaser of the body in the auction.
Rounding out the sale's top ten lots were an Egyptian bronze
figure of the Goddess Wadjet, Twenty-First-Thirtieth Dynasty,
1075-342 BC, $464,000; an Egyptian polychrome wood face mask,
Nineteenth-Twenty-First Dynasty, 1305-946 BC, $307,200; Roman
marble portrait bust of a man, Julio Claudian, circa early First
Century AD, $168,000; Roman marble portrait head of the Empress
Livia, Roman Imperial, Julio-Claudian, early First Century AD,
$156,000; Roman marble figure of Kybele, circa First Century AD,
$144,000; marble figure of Pan, Roman Imperial, First/early
Second Century AD, $132,000; limestone relief fragment, Thirtieth
Dynasty/early Ptolemaic Period, circa 380-200 BC, $114,000;
Egyptian bronze figure of an Ibis, Late Period, 664-30 BC,
$108,000; and marble relief fragment, Roman Imperial, Gallienic,
AD 250-270, $96,000.
Prices reported include buyer's premium, which is 20 percent of
the hammer price on the first $200,000, and 12 percent
thereafter. For information, 212-606-7000 or www.sothebys.com.
