Lot 9. A Greek Marble Head of a Goddess, circa mid-2nd Century B.C. Estimate 600,000 — 900,000 GBP. Photo: Sotheby's.

from a monumental figure, turned to her left, her oval face with strong chin, full parted lips, straight nose, and deep-set eyes beneath the broad brow, her wavy hair parted in the center, swept back and up in thick tresses from the temples and ears, and surmounted by a fragmentary fillet; no restorations. Total height 38 cm. 15 in.; height of face 22 cm. 8 5/8 in.

Provenance: Henri Philippe Pharaon (alt. sp. Pharaoun), Beirut (1901-1993), acquired prior to 1972
Sleiman Aboutaam, Beirut, acquired from the above
Phoenix Ancient Art, Geneva
acquired from the above by the present owner in 2006

Literature: Evamaria Schmidt, "Ein weiblicher Kopf in Beyrouth," in Festschrift Luitpold Dussler, Munich, 1972, pp. 31ff., figs. 1ff.
Mary-Anne Zagdoun, "Bulletin archéologique. La sculpture, la ronde-bosse hellénistique (1960-1987)," Revue des études grecques, vol. 104, 1991, p. 156, no. 117
Sotheby’s, New York, December 7th, 2001, no. 67, illus.

Note: This impressive head is an original sculpture of the Hellenistic period. An apt comparison is the head of the so-called Juno Cesi, an over-lifesize female draped statue in Rome (B. Andreae, Skulptur des Hellenismus, 2001, p. 174f., pl. 164f.), which is similar with regard to the turn of the head, the rendering of the hair, and the facial features. This statue is related to the "Baroque" style of Pergamon and dated in the mid 2nd Century B.C. Given the similarities to the Juno Cesi, it is likely that the present head belonged to a draped statue and represented a matronly goddess such as Hera or Demeter.