New artefact, would like to hear some opinions

[Mucius Scaevola]

Hello again,

 

I just bought this relief fragment from Rolf (Helios).

There's an old label on it, which says "Pompei". I doubt that it really comes from Pompei due to the condition (Still bought it because I like it). Seems to be a goddess, wearing a peplos and the material is Terracotta.

Do you have seen similar objects?

 

Edited November 15, 2022 by Mucius Scaevola

[Spaniard]

Lovely looking piece ❤️...

[Mucius Scaevola]

Thank you! I liked it (even if the face looks like Iron Maiden designed it) and thought 2 days about it, so I just took the chance. Artifacts like this are rarely listed more than a week at Helios.

The price was quite fair and adjusted to the fact that it's not sure that it came from Pompeii. I now contacted several Pompeii experts from all over the world and will see if someone is going to reply. But it has to be a part from something bigger, as it's just a fragment. My hope is that one or more of them will recognize the style or anything else. As the label seems to be from the 19th century or early 20th, why should someone write Pompei on it? A modern label would be to sell it easier but back then?

Edited November 15, 2022 by Mucius Scaevola

[DLTcoins]

Perhaps a previous owner labeled it long ago with the name of the Grand Tour stop where it was purchased? Then, as now, the dealer may have sourced it from elsewhere.

Edited November 15, 2022 by DLTcoins

[shanxi]

I'm not familiar with this kind of objects, but with the side parts on the left and right of the goddess, I wonder if it could have been part of some kind of vessel???

The goddess ?? Aphrodite ????

 

 

 

[Mucius Scaevola]

7 hours ago, shanxi said:

I'm not familiar with this kind of objects, but with the side parts on the left and right of the goddess, I wonder if it could have been part of some kind of vessel???

The goddess ?? Aphrodite ????

 

 

 

It was more like a part of a wall decoration or it is a caryatid I guess. I don't think that Terracotta artifacts would be a good idea to place on a vessel?

Edited November 15, 2022 by Mucius Scaevola

[Mucius Scaevola]

I can only repeat what I already wrote here:

 

Helios Gallery is a great place to buy artifacts! Rolf is such a nice person, if you're not happy with the item you can return it any time. You can always ask for a discount and if you have questions about the background informations, he'll answer. Even months after you bought it. His prices are pretty fair, too!

[Jay GT4]

Perhaps Tyche?

[Mucius Scaevola]

Tyche would be a possibility, yes. But I think it will stay a mystery forever 🙃

[antwerpen2306]

what is the size of this fragment? I think the only solution to identify is the headdress and at a first view, it looks me 2/3 century AD.

[Mucius Scaevola]

I think that, as Rolf is quite some kind of an expert, I leave the dating to him 😉 16x7cm

[DonnaML]

I agree with @Mucius Scaevola in highly recommending Helios Gallery. I've bought a number of artifacts from Rolf, most recently the terracotta bust -- possibly intended to depict Faustina II -- that I posted and discussed at https://www.numisforums.com/topic/199-a-thread-for-my-antiquities/page/2/#comment-3796 .  Importantly, I believe that Rolf pays more than lip service to the ethical sourcing of the artifacts that Helios sells. One doesn't have to worry that one is buying something dug up last month somewhere and smuggled into the UK.

 

[antwerpen2306]

Wich date Rolf gives you ?

[shanxi]

21 hours ago, antwerpen2306 said:

it looks me 2/3 century AD.

could be much older, if you compare it e.g with this:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/242017

or the statues of the Erechtheion

 

[Prieure de Sion]

Have I already said it? I like it! 😉 

[Mucius Scaevola]

3 hours ago, antwerpen2306 said:

Wich date Rolf gives you ?

1st century or older which is, even to me, logical if it's a Campana relief.

 

There are more examples, but the style from the one shanxi posted, was later often copied by the Romans, in the 1st century and even before that.

Forget Pompeii for a moment, it's what one of the preowners thought or got told.

No @Prieure de Sion but I like to hear that! 😉

[Mucius Scaevola]

Here's a good example for an intact Campana relief. The style is pretty much the same. Of course it looks finer due to the surface, but at the end it's not. It is dated 30bc to 20ad

Edited November 19, 2022 by Mucius Scaevola

[Mucius Scaevola]

I like the detailled conversation I had with @antwerpen2306 in this thread 🙃😂

[antwerpen2306]

That's a very nice one and in the same style as yours. Found an interesting article on Wikipedia. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campana_reliefs