GRAND AUCTION OF OLD MASTERS, COLONIAL ART AND VINTAGE WATCHES

Cornelian scarab carved with frolicking Satyrs. Greek, Archaic period, 6th century BC

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Start price: €10,000

Estimated price: €14 000 - €16 000

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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