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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, post: 3744798, member: 99554&quot;]For sale at Christie’s auctions 28 October 2019 : a superb marble portrait head of the emperor Septimius Severus. Estimated price : USD 400,000-USD 600,000.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2019/NYR/2019_NYR_18807_0314_004(a_roman_marble_portrait_head_of_the_emperor_septimius_severus_severan).jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p>The description of the lot by the auction house is quite interesting : « Portraits of Septimius have been grouped into four main types, with significant variations. As F. Johansen informs (p. 8 in <i>Roman Portraits III</i>), “Septimius was never content with his official portrait. This suffices to explain why he altered his appearance from that of a soldier to someone apparently resembling, successively, Antonius Pius, Marcus Aurelius and finally, Serapis, the Alexandrian deity.” The present portrait displays his mature visage, as seen in the creases on his brow, naso-labial folds, sunken eyes and pronounced cheekbones. His long curly beard forks below his mouth and, most distinctively, there are four locks of curls falling to the forehead, which fits firmly into the fourth type of Severus-Serapis. For a similar example in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, also persevering the askew proper-right eye, see no. 4 in Fleming, op. cit. </p><p><br /></p><p>Here, the Septimius&#039; adoption of the Serapis&#039; characteristic hairstyle is purposeful, indicating the Emperor wanted to note both his African heritage and connect himself to the deity’s association with renewal and life after death. Following the deadly civil wars of Septimius&#039; early years, a new dynasty was resolutely entrenched in Rome and the Empire was on the verge of another golden age. The Serapis-type portrait was introduced in about 200 A.D. after the imperial family visited Egypt and the Sanctuary of Serapis in Memphis in 199-200 A.D. (see D.E.E. Kleiner, <i>Roman Sculpture</i>, p. 320). The Serapis-type portrait of Septimius is thought to reflect the famous cult state of Serapis by Bryaxis that stood in the god’s temple in Alexandria. »</p><p><br /></p><p>Maybe [USER=31620]@maridvnvm[/USER] and [USER=19463]@dougsmit[/USER] could join their fortune and bid on it....$$$[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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