Ancient Roman Marble Important marble portrait of a Kosmetes.

Marble portrait of a Kosmetés Late 2nd early 3rd century AD. White marble. H_ 21 cm without stand. Provenance: - French Private collection, circa 1950's. - Judiciary sale 2021. Documents: Spanish Export License, French cultural passport, certificate of authenticity. Condition report: Unrestored. A realistic marble portrait of a male, dating to the severian dynasty. The kosmētai were public teachers of the Attic ephebes in Athens from the Hellenistic period to the third century AD. They trained young men of the upper social classes in rhetoric and philosophy with a view to obtain areté. The kosmētai were not professional intellectuals, but normally young magistrates who were appointed, and who contributed to the making of a new philosophical culture in Athens, connected to Sophism. The concept was originally initiated and developed by Aristotle, and included a group of teachers who were responsible for the Gymnasium. The teaching took place outdoors, in the area around the Roman Agora of Athens. Because of the status of the kosmētai, their portrait statues were erected by local benefactors. The term ‘kosmētes’ was inscribed on four of the approximately thirty portraits which were found in 1861 as fill in the so-called Valerian Wall. The portraits formed part of herms, which were probably set up in the area where the Byzantine church of Saint Demetrios now stands, close to the Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora. The kosmētai portraits differ from those of other individuals, because of the time interval between production, reuse and deposition. ‘Biography’ is the term used here for the history of a portrait, from the time when it was originally produced till the end of its existence. The portraits of the kosmētai have a particularly interesting history, due to their short existence. 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.