Ancient Greek Marble Herm with the Bearded Herakles. 65 cm H.

Herm with the Bearded Hercules Greek. Marble Circa 4rt to 2nd century B. C. or Roman 1st-2nd century A. D. 49,5 cm Height. (without stand) , 65 cm with stand. Provided with a marble stand of the previous old collection PROVENANCE: English private collection formed between 1970s and late 1990s. DOCUMENTS: Export license issued by the Ministry of Culture. CONDITION: Some restorations, especially on the lower part of the pillar. Upper part with head of Hercules and lion skin is not restored. Worn surface. DESCRIPTION: \t Rare herm of the bearded Hercules which, despite the state of preservation of the surface, preserve the intensitive of the depiction. The hero is portrayed at a mature age, as a philosopher, a role acquired from the beginning of the Hellenistic age as protector of mind-body exercises. A close comparison is now at the Capitoline museums, a plaster cast of a very similar hellenistic herm is at Akademisches Kunstmuseum, Bonn, Deutschland, with Inv.
-Nr. 1281, both described as greek originals. There are also roman copies of this original greek herms, normally more barroque in style but this option can not be completely discarded. Herm, Greek herma, in Greek religion, sacred object of stone connected with the cult of Hermes, the fertility god. According to some scholars, Hermes’ name may be derived from the word herma (Greek: “stone,” or “rock,” such as a boundary or landmark) . With the development of artistic taste and the conception of the gods as having human form, these objects tended to be replaced either by statues or by pillars that were generally square and tapering toward the bottom so as to suggest the human figure. These were usually surmounted by the bearded head of Hermes (hence the name) and had an erect phallus. They were used not only as cult objects but also for a variety of other purposes, for example, as milestones or boundary marks. They were regarded with respect, if not actually worshipped. The mutilation of the many herms dedicated in the Athenian agora, or marketplace, on the eve of the Sicilian Expedition (415 BC) led to the indictment (for the mutiliation as well as for other offenses to religion) of the expedition’s commander, Alcibiades, and ultimately to the failure of the expedition itself. Herms also occur in Roman sculpture and may have heads of the forest god Silvanus or the chief god, Jupiter Terminus. In later times, all manner of fanciful herms were used as ornaments; both single and double herms existed, and the heads were not always those of gods. A tapered rectangular stone post topped with a portrait bust is now called a herm; it is a standard element of architecture in the classical style. Notes: The seller guarantees that he acquired this piece according to all national and international laws related to the ownership of cultural property. Provenance statement seen by Catawiki. The piece includes authenticity certificate. The piece includes Spanish Export License (Passport for European Union) - If the piece is destined outside the European Union a substitution of the export permit should be requested.