Fine Roman Bone Standing Figure Hercules

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. Finely carved from bovine bone, a figure of Hercules, nude save his lion skin cloak, standing in contrapposto on an integral plinth, and holding his large, intimidating club. The iconography of this bronze references the legendary hero's first labor when King Eurystheus asked Hercules to bring him the skin of a fierce lion that terrorized the hillside around Nemea - a seemingly impossible task. Despite the fact that initially Hercules' 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 Hercules displaying the ancient artist's strong interest in delineating physiognomy and movement of Hercules' heroic yet human form. Size: 1.2" W x 2.8" H (3 cm x 7.1 cm); 3.3" H (8.4 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: ex-Phoenicia Holyland Antiquities, New York, New York, USA, acquired in November 1992; ex-private Mr. Khabbazi collection

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#157285
Condition Report: Repaired from several small pieces with chipping and adhesive residue along break lines. Small areas of loss along back and behind left leg as shown. Nicks and softening to finer details with light encrustations within some recessed areas. Nice surface color commensurate with age.