Bidspirit auction | Large Roman Marble Bull's Head

Large Roman Marble Bull's Head Sculpture - Circa 2nd century B.C.- 2nd century A.D.. Life-size bull's head (bucranium) on a rectangular field with flattened upper face and small ledge overhang; modelled in the half-round with detailed eyes, muzzle and dewlap, plain background; tooled texture to the forehead and dewlap; Eastern Empire. Cf. similar item in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, under accession no.99.17; for various similar examples s. Mendel, G., Catalogue des sculptures grecques, romaines et byzantines, Constantinople, 1914, nos.1151 (381), 1164-1166 (300,1152,1139), 1282-1283 (2015-2016), vol.III, pp.493-494. 98 kg, 51 cm (20 in.). From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D?Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12081-213373. The bucranium was used as a prominent motif on the exterior of Graeco-Roman temples where it replaced the use of genuine severed heads from the sacrificial rites. Garlands were draped over the heads on feast-days and occasions of special religious observance. The flattened upper face suggests an architectural use, perhaps as a corbel. [No Reserve]