Bronze Statuette of Cerberus

Culture: Roman

Period: 1st century A.D.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 4.4 cm x 5.3 cm

Price: Sold

Ref: 3402

Provenance: French private collection Ladrière, Paris until May 1987. Thence Royal Athena Gallery New York. There acquired by the US collection E.B., Orion, Michigan. Bestowed and exhibited in the Picker Art Gallery, Colgate University, New York and in the Fitchburg Art Museum, Massachusetts, USA from 1992 to 2016.

Condition: Restorations on the legs and tail, probably due to the fact that the statuette broke off from its original base in ancient times. Today mounted on a wood base.

Description: Published and repeatedly exhibited bronze statuette of the three-headed dog Cerberus, who guarded the entrance to Hades. His duty was to prevent a living person to get in and a deceased to get out. The statuette with numerous details, for example the tail winds around the right hind leg and ends in a snake head. More snake heads wind round the shoulders and belly, the entire body is engraved in cold work. The mane is finely worked out at the back of the head and on the chest. There were shining gemstones inserted in the round eyes in ancient times. Mounted.