Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A dramatic sculpture, carved in the round from the bone of an ungulate, depicting a nude Hercules wrestling the Nemean Lion. Hercules holds the head of the beast as it grasps him with both paws. The dueling duo are placed atop a column, suggesting they served as the finial decoration to a hairpin or fibula. The iconography of this sculpture references the legendary hero's first labor when King Eurystheus asked Hercules to bring him the hide of a fierce lion that terrorized the hillside around Nemea - a seemingly impossible task. Despite the fact that initially Hercules' arrows were utterly useless against this threatening beast, our hero ultimately succeeded, clutching the lion in his muscular arms all the while strategically avoiding its claws, finally choking it to death - as beautifully depicted in this example! Size: 0.6" W x 2.7" H (1.5 cm x 6.9 cm); 3" H (7.6 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA, acquired before 2010

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#175520

Missing lower half with stable hairline fissures to bone. Expected nicks, chips, and abrasions commensurate with age, but otherwise very nice with ample remaining detail and rich patina.