- Classical Antiquities
- >
- Roman Antiquities
- >
- Roman pottery sea-encrusted Antefix
Roman pottery sea-encrusted Antefix
SKU:
$1,875.00
$1,875.00
Unavailable
per item
Roman pottery sea-encrusted antefix.
100 AD - 200 AD
A fine Roman terracotta antefix (roof tile). The front features the face of a Roman youth in high relief. Above is large a multi-frond palmette. At the sides and lower portion are spiral designs. In very good condition. The tile is complete, never broken, which is rare. The face was eroded and has some resurfacing, otherwise intact and original. Areas of edge chipping and small losses on the front, mainly to the left of the face. Considerable amounts of sea encrustation (barnacles, salt deposits, etc) on the back along with some encrusting on the front, mostly in the crevices. It was originally found in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Turkey, in the 1970s. A lovely example that display nicely on the custom metal stand which is included.
Ex J. Lee collection of Hawaii & Arizona.
Approx. 10” tall x 7” wide x 7” deep. Just over 12” tall on the stand.
Roof tiles that ran along the eaves of ancient Roman, Greek and Etruscan buildings often ended in upright, painted, mold-made terracotta members called antefixes which usually took the form of either human or mythological heads. These antefixes had three functions. First, they concealed the termini of convex tiles and thus protected them from bad weather. In addition, they were part of the architectural decoration. Finally, these visages were believed to possess an apotropaic role, fending off evil and bad luck from temples.
Note: a Roman terracotta antefix that depicts an acanthus leaf only (no human or mythological face) sold for $4,000 at Christie's New York (4 June 2015, Sale 3748, lot 82).
100 AD - 200 AD
A fine Roman terracotta antefix (roof tile). The front features the face of a Roman youth in high relief. Above is large a multi-frond palmette. At the sides and lower portion are spiral designs. In very good condition. The tile is complete, never broken, which is rare. The face was eroded and has some resurfacing, otherwise intact and original. Areas of edge chipping and small losses on the front, mainly to the left of the face. Considerable amounts of sea encrustation (barnacles, salt deposits, etc) on the back along with some encrusting on the front, mostly in the crevices. It was originally found in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Turkey, in the 1970s. A lovely example that display nicely on the custom metal stand which is included.
Ex J. Lee collection of Hawaii & Arizona.
Approx. 10” tall x 7” wide x 7” deep. Just over 12” tall on the stand.
Roof tiles that ran along the eaves of ancient Roman, Greek and Etruscan buildings often ended in upright, painted, mold-made terracotta members called antefixes which usually took the form of either human or mythological heads. These antefixes had three functions. First, they concealed the termini of convex tiles and thus protected them from bad weather. In addition, they were part of the architectural decoration. Finally, these visages were believed to possess an apotropaic role, fending off evil and bad luck from temples.
Note: a Roman terracotta antefix that depicts an acanthus leaf only (no human or mythological face) sold for $4,000 at Christie's New York (4 June 2015, Sale 3748, lot 82).