ROMAN BRONZE PROTOME BUST OF APOLLO

Ca. 100-200 AD
A bronze bust of the God Apollo, exquisitely crafted and expertly rendered. This captivating piece portrays the deity emerging from a rectangular socket, his gaze fixed ahead and his features radiating with divine grace and beauty. The god is shown wearing a chiton, fastened on his right shoulder, and his expressive face with large, piercing eyes, broad nose, and rounded lips is framed by a well-arranged coiffure. In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, Apollo was the god of music, poetry, prophecy, and healing, and was widely regarded as a paragon of physical beauty, grace, and intellectual excellence. As one of the most important and widely venerated deities of the classical world, Apollo was often depicted in various forms of art, including sculpture, painting, and literature. This superb bronze bust, a testament to the masterful skill of its maker, exemplifies the profound reverence and awe that the ancient world held for this god. A work of both beauty and meaning, it is a fitting tribute to the timeless legacy of Apollo and the enduring power of classical art.
Size: L:70mm / W:65mm ; 530g
Provenance: From the private collection of an Essex gentleman; previously in an old British Collection, formed in the 1990s.
Estimate: GBP 750 - 1500