Roman, Imperial period, ca. 2nd century CE. A fabulous bronze figure of Apollo Kitharoidos or Citharoedus - a depiction of Apollo, the Greek and Roman god of archery, music, and prophecy, holding a kithara (Latin cithara) or lyre. Nude, the athletic deity stands in contrapposto with his weight on his left leg, the right relaxed and bent at the knee. He holds a plectrum in his lowered right hand, while he raises his left hand, which would have originally grasped a kithara. Gazing to his right, his idealistic visage is crowned by a centrally parted coiffure bound in a fillet and tied in a chignon as 4 long braids fall to his shoulders. Size: 1.3" L x 2.2" W x 5.2" H (3.3 cm x 5.6 cm x 13.2 cm); 6.4" H (16.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, the Sun and light, poetry, and more. One of the most important and complex of the Greek gods, he is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis, goddess of the hunt. He is considered to be the most beautiful god and is represented as the ideal of the kouros (ephebe, or a beardless, athletic youth).

This piece has been published in Christie's New York "The Morven Collection of Ancient Art" catalog, 8 June 2004, pg. 157, no. 503 and C.C. Vermeule and J.M. Eisenberg, "Catalogue of the Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Bronzes in the Collection of John Kluge" New York and Boston, 1992, no. 89-46.

Provenance: ex-Royal Athena Galleries, New York City, New York, USA; ex-Christie's, New York, June 8 2004, lot 503; ex-John W. Kluge Morven collection, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; ex-Royal Athena, 1989; ex-Kunst und Munzen, Lugano, Switzerland

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#184697

Missing both feet, little finger of proper left hand, and lyre. Light nicks and abrasions as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, nice remaining detail and rich patina.