Sotheby’s London, 12 June – Today’s sale, dedicated exclusively to the classical world, totalled £3,524,000 / $4,490,633 (est. £2,296,000-3,516,000) with an array of ancient marble sculpture and works of art from the Greek, Roman and Etruscan periods meeting enthusiasm from bidders.

The auction was led by an exceptionally well-preserved and powerful portrait Roman bust of a high-ranking military officer dating from the mid to late 2nd Century A.D., which sold for £728,750 / $928,646 (est. £300,000-500,000) to benefit the Acquisition Fund of the Denver Art Museum. Carved out of a single piece of marble, this virtually intact depiction stands out for its direct gaze and the exuberance of the hair and provides a glimpse into the importance of portraiture in Ancient Rome.

A rare group of larger-than-life size Roman Marble figures of women, circa 2nd Century A.D., brought a combined total of £1,123,750 / $1,431,995 (est. £650,000-1,000,000). Having been acquired in London in the 1960s, the statues spent the second half of the century set in a stunning colonnade around a swimming pool in the opulent ‘El Cerro’ villa in Jamaica.

Further highlights included a Hellenistic Bronze figure of an athlete or actor, circa 2nd Century B.C., which sold for almost five times its estimate at £112,500 / $ 143,359, and a compelling Roman Marble Head of the Graeco-Egyptian god Sarapis, late 2nd Century A.D., which made £106,250 / $135,394.

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