GRAND AUCTION OF OLD MASTERS, COLONIAL ART AND VINTAGE WATCHES
Lote 452:
Dated circa 525 BC. Small beetle carved with an intaglio of three naked Satyrs embarking upon sexual exploits within a woodland scene. Each hoofed figure is highly aroused, the central figure bent over and playing double pipes whilst looking over his shoulders. The scarab un-drilled. Provenance: Giorgio Sangiorgi (1886-1965), Rome, acquired and brought to Switzerland, late 1930s; thence by continuous descent to the previous owner. Comparative literature: Boardman J & Wagner C, Masterpieces in Miniature: Engraved Gems from Prehistory to the Present, London, 2018, p29, catalogue no. 22. Measures 1.4 x 1.1 x 0.7cm
