Large Bronze Statuette of Venus with the Apple of Discord

Culture: Roman

Period: 2nd century A.D.

Material: Bronze, glass

Dimensions: 30.5 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 3346

Provenance: French private collection Yvette and Jacques Deschamps, France, with the collection number 130. Acquired between 1970 and 1980. Since the in a family estate. Accompanied by a French antiquities passport.

Condition: The attribute in the right hand missing. The statuette is mounted on its original ancient base with a modern screw. A small filling on the right breast, otherwise intact and of excellent quality.

Description: Magnificent, very large bronze statuette of a nude Venus on a belonging, ancient base. The goddess stands on the left leg with her weight, the right one is slightly bent, the foot elegantly taken back. She has inlays of white and black glass in her eyes. Her wavy hair parted in the centre and surmounted by a radiate stephane. The hair is pulled back to a bun, fine wavy curls cascading on the back and on the front over her shoulders. She wears a necklace with several amulets and holds an apple in her raised left hand, in her right she probably once held a mirror, which is not preserved today. The apple stands for the golden apple of discord, which the goddess Eris (Roman: Discordia) tossed between the goddesses with the indication "to the most beautiful". Paris decided that only Aphrodite deserved the apple, who in return promised him the love of Helen, the most beautiful of the mortals. This was the main trigger for the Trojan War. See for a similar statuette in the Louvre museum with the inventory number 05-017758, as well as Sotheby's London from 3rd July 2018, lot 16. On the back of the base an old collection label with the number 130.