Ancient Roman Stone Ancient roman marble rosso antico herm of a Dyonisos H: 14.5 cm

Dyonisos herm Roman 1st - 2nd century AD Marble “rosso antico” Height 14. 5 cm PROVENANCE: Private collection, Crowthers family, Somerset County, England. Acquired in 1910 by Margaret Hobhouse, Great Britain. Old Niall Hobhouse collection, removed from the Hadspen House, Pitcombe, Somerset, Great Britain. CONDITION: Good state of preservation, without restorations. DESCRIPTION: The herm is a Greek creation whose origins go back to the 6th century BC. It was a pillar, usually square in cross-section, sculpted from stone. A bust of the god Hermes – thus the name of the pillar – usually stood on the top of this. An erect phallus, a symbol of fertility, but also of defence and prevention, was carved on the front of the pillar. However, other theories claim that the first herm in reality represented Dionysus, god of fertility and nature, in his original form. Notes: 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. This process could take between 1 and 2 months.