Gilded Bronze Statuette of a Seated Eros with Dolphin and Bow

Culture: Roman

Period: 1st-2nd century A.D.

Material: Bronze

Dimensions: 10.6 cm high

Price: Sold

Ref: 3442

Provenance: From an old English collection, acquired around 1980. Last in a French collection. Accompanied by a French antiquities passport.

Condition: A corrosion hole at the bottom, the lower part of the bow missing, otherwise intact and of high quality.

Description: Solid cast and gilded bronze statuette of a seated Eros. The childlike god with a chubby face, inlayed silver eyes and finely waved hair, which is typically towering above the forehead. In the back some strands cascading to the nape. The unclothed Eros sits on a rock, his body with childlike curves on the belly and legs. His arms are stretched out. In his right hand he is holding a dolphin, whose tail rests on the god’s shoulder. In his left he is holding his bow, which ends in a swan’s head. The bottom of the bow missing. The entire statuette with abundant remains of the original gilt. An exceedingly rare depiction of the childlike god of love. See for reference of a seated Eros in the Museo Gregoriano Profano in Rome with the inventory number 16919. On an old, massive wood base.