CLASSICAL PERIOD, CIRCA 480 B.C.

Name: A GREEK BROWN CHALCEDONY SCARABOID WITH A LION AND SERPENT
Brand: CLASSICAL PERIOD, CIRCA 480 B.C.
Price: 190000.00 USD
Availability: SoldOut

Price Realised USD 239,400

Estimate

USD 20,000 - USD 30,000

Closed: 14 Apr 2022

Loading details

Try our

A GREEK BROWN CHALCEDONY SCARABOID WITH A LION AND SERPENT

CLASSICAL PERIOD, CIRCA 480 B.C.

Price Realised USD 239,400

Closed: 14 Apr 2022

Price Realised USD 239,400

Closed: 14 Apr 2022

Details Lot Essay Related Articles More from

³⁄₄ in. (1.9 cm.) long

Giorgio Sangiorgi (1886-1965), Rome, acquired and brought to Switzerland, late 1930s; thence by continuous descent to the current owner.

Conditions of Sale
FAQs
This lot is offered by Christie's Inc

Brought to you by

Hannah Fox SolomonHead of Department, Specialist

A Christie's specialist may contact you to discuss this lot or to notify you if the condition changes prior to the sale.

hsolomon@christies.com +1 212 636 2256

Lot Essay

This scaraboid features a superbly engraved lion attacking a serpent. The lion lunges forward with an open mouth revealing fangs. His mane is a series of carefully incised striations. The snake is bearded, with a forked tongue, its body looped below the lion’s forepaw and then extended back along the groundline. The scene is enclosed within a line border.

The lion is similar in style to one on a late Archaic scarab from Pergamon, now lost, inscribed with the owner’s name, Aristoteiches (pl. 388 in Boardman, Rings). The encounter with the serpent is unusual, although an eagle carries one above a similar lion on a chalcedony scaraboid from Cyprus, now in Boston, no. 34 in J.D. Beazley, .