Magna Graecia Terracotta Protome | Demeter or Persephone
Southern Italy, Magna Graecia, Greek, ca. 400–300 BCE. A mold-made bust of a young woman in buff terracotta, her head inclined and her mouth curved in the last echo of the Archaic smile. The wavy hair parts centrally and sweeps back in crisp ridged locks beneath a low diadem, framing almond eyes, a straight relief nose, and a firm chin. Shoulders and upper chest are broadly modeled, the back left open and hollow in the manner of a votive protome. Traces of white slip and pigment survive across the surface, remnants of the polychromy that once enlivened the face. Likely an offering to a chthonic goddess, perhaps Demeter or her daughter Persephone, dedicated in a sanctuary deposit. Mounted on a custom hardwood block base. Size: 8" W x 7.25" H (20.3 cm W x 18.4 cm H).
Votive busts of this kind, half-figures broken off at the chest and hollow behind, were produced in enormous quantities by the Greek colonies of southern Italy and Sicily. Worshippers bought them cheaply from sanctuary workshops and left them in favissae, the pits where surplus offerings were reverently buried once shrine shelves overflowed, which is why so many survive in fragmentary but recognizable condition.
The cult of Demeter and Kore was among the most tenacious in Magna Graecia, its sanctuaries at Locri Epizephyrii, Medma, and Morgantina yielding thousands of such terracottas. The deities are frequently indistinguishable in these mass-produced types: mother and daughter share the same serene face, the same veiled or diademed coiffure, and only attributes (a torch, a piglet, a sheaf of grain) separate them when they survive at all. Here no attribute remains, so the identification stays open between the two.
Provenance: Ex. German collection of D.T., acquired between 1987 and before 2000.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73299
Condition
Strong scattered surface and mineral deposits, remains of white pigment remaining. Repaired from approximately six original pieces with restoration over the break lines, some restoration to the right side of her hairdo, with some edge loss along the right edge of her head.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
Southern Italy, Magna Graecia, Greek, ca. 400–300 BCE. A mold-made bust of a young woman in buff terracotta, her head inclined and her mouth curved in the last echo of the Archaic smile. The wavy hair parts centrally and sweeps back in crisp ridged locks beneath a low diadem, framing almond eyes, a straight relief nose, and a firm chin. Shoulders and upper chest are broadly modeled, the back left open and hollow in the manner of a votive protome. Traces of white slip and pigment survive across the surface, remnants of the polychromy that once enlivened the face. Likely an offering to a chthonic goddess, perhaps Demeter or her daughter Persephone, dedicated in a sanctuary deposit. Mounted on a custom hardwood block base. Size: 8" W x 7.25" H (20.3 cm W x 18.4 cm H).
Votive busts of this kind, half-figures broken off at the chest and hollow behind, were produced in enormous quantities by the Greek colonies of southern Italy and Sicily. Worshippers bought them cheaply from sanctuary workshops and left them in favissae, the pits where surplus offerings were reverently buried once shrine shelves overflowed, which is why so many survive in fragmentary but recognizable condition.
The cult of Demeter and Kore was among the most tenacious in Magna Graecia, its sanctuaries at Locri Epizephyrii, Medma, and Morgantina yielding thousands of such terracottas. The deities are frequently indistinguishable in these mass-produced types: mother and daughter share the same serene face, the same veiled or diademed coiffure, and only attributes (a torch, a piglet, a sheaf of grain) separate them when they survive at all. Here no attribute remains, so the identification stays open between the two.
Provenance: Ex. German collection of D.T., acquired between 1987 and before 2000.
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700.
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
73299
Condition
Strong scattered surface and mineral deposits, remains of white pigment remaining. Repaired from approximately six original pieces with restoration over the break lines, some restoration to the right side of her hairdo, with some edge loss along the right edge of her head.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Estimate
Reserve
Time, Location
Auction House
