Francesca Hickin
Head of Department
Lot 55
A Greek terracotta plaque
3 July 2019, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond StreetSold for £3,562.50 inc. premium
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Siobhan Quin
Senior Specialist
A Greek terracotta plaque
Daedalic, circa early 7th century B.C.
The rectangular plaque depicting two standing figures facing inwards, about to embrace, on the left Theseus, his hair falling in curls down his back with his arms outstretched, and Ariadne on the right, wearing a close-fitting ankle-length robe, her arms upraised, a spindle of wound yarn between them, 7cm high
Daedalic, circa early 7th century B.C.
The rectangular plaque depicting two standing figures facing inwards, about to embrace, on the left Theseus, his hair falling in curls down his back with his arms outstretched, and Ariadne on the right, wearing a close-fitting ankle-length robe, her arms upraised, a spindle of wound yarn between them, 7cm high
Footnotes
Provenance:
The Thétis Collection, Geneva, acquired prior to 1970.
The Thétis Collection; Christie's London, 25 October 2012, lot 177.
Private collection, UK, acquired at the above sale.
For a very closely-related plaque, see P. Blome, Orient und frühes Griechenland, Antikenmuseum Basel und Sammlung Ludwig, Basel, 1990, p. 49, no. 76, inv. no. Bo105. This plaque depicts the Greek hero Theseus greeting his would-be bride Ariadne, the Cretan princess. Ariadne provided Theseus with a spindle of thread which he was able to use to trace his route through the Labyrinth. The couple are about to embrace, presumably upon Theseus's successful return. Daedalic works reveal Eastern influences, and is otherwise known as the Orientalising Period in Greek art. Greek craftsmen adopted the Near Eastern method of mould-making terracotta figures and plaques around 700 B.C.