Roman 'Hercules' Statue. Base width: 23.5 cm; Height: 64 cm. An impressive 2nd Century A.D. marble torso of Hercules celebrating his eleventh labour. In his left hand he holds the bowl which would have contained four apples protected by the Hesperides, the stealing of which was one of Hercules' labours. Since Hercules sent Atlas to procure the apples, scenes of the labour itself are not generally seen, and are therefore rare.

This statue however, shows Hercules holding the bowl, which would have contained Zeus' Golden apples. Carved here in all his splendour, Hercules with his left leg bent leans on his club. The bottom of the club can clearly be seen running down the back of his leg and is positioned behind his left heel. He pulls the lion's skin over his left shoulder by the beast's back legs, and across the front of his upper body with his left hand held in a fist. The head of the lion hangs over his left arm, with the lions front paws hanging over the club to the left of this ankle.

Good detail and muscular body form are magnified by the use of exquisite marble and a famous subject. The Roman god Hercules was a classical figure much revered by the Romans and especially the Roman Army. An expertly crafted work of art probably from a temple. Click on the enlarged view for more details.

Statue of Hercules with 'Zeus' Golden Apples'

Base width: 23.5 cm; Height: 64 cm. An impressive 2nd Century A.D. marble torso of Hercules celebrating his eleventh labour. In his left hand he holds the bowl which would have contained four apples protected by the Hesperides, the stealing of which was one of Hercules' labours. Since Hercules sent Atlas to procure the apples, scenes of the labour itself are not generally seen, and are therefore rare.

This statue however, shows Hercules holding the bowl (frag), which would have contained Zeus' Golden apples. Carved here in all his splendour, Hercules with his left leg bent leans on his club. The bottom of the club can clearly be seen running down the back of his leg and is positioned behind his left heel. He pulls the lion's skin over his left shoulder by the beast's back legs, and across the front of his upper body with his left hand held in a fist. The head of the lion hangs over his left arm, with the lions front paws hanging over the club to the left of this ankle.

Good detail and muscular body form are magnified by the use of exquisite marble and a famous subject. The Roman god Hercules was a classical figure much revered by the Romans and especially the Roman Army. An expertly crafted work of art probably from a temple. Click here for more images.

Emperor Commodus as Hercules

Hercules is nearly always depicted naked, but the commissioner of this work had the artist depict the torso wrapped by the lion's skin. In our opinion this statue could be one of the 'lost' statues of Commodus dressed as Hercules. Click on this link to learn more.

The Careful Choice of material

This marble is NUMIDIAN, from Tunisia, North Africa. It is called giallo antico, from the ancient Roman Quarries at Chemtou; a rich golden or pale yellow marble. This statue of the god Hercules was carved from the most beautiful and rare type which has veins of orange and pink running through it. This pink and yellow marble was prized throughout the Roman world.

From an old English collection.

Silver Radiate Brooch

Viking Gold Ring

STUNNING Viking 'Entwined' Ring. Gold, 15.44 grams, 29.54mm; internal: 19.70mm [UK size T, US size 21, European size 62]. 10th Century A.D. A superb large and heavy example of a penannular Viking hair braid or finger ring, expertly executed with gold wire expanding as it is twisted to make a typical Viking design with beaded intersections before tapering to flattened pointing terminals. Ex. An old private collection; Ex. Bonhams of London. Extremely Fine condition.

These Viking 'twining' or 'twisting' knots probably represent the interconnectedness of all Viking life. Another interpretation is that these devices are to bind negativity, in that it becomes bound up in the knot and cannot escape. For Vikings, ancient Viking patterns represent the interweaving of their lives and futures represented in the Viking universe.

Wine Amphora

Large Bronze Age 'Holy Land' Wine Amphora

Clay, 4.02 Kg, 21.1 Inch. Circa 2000 B.C. Used for the storage of oil or wine. It was manufactured in a red/brown dish to buff the clay. It is ovoid in shape with a cylindrical neck. Two looped handles sit on the lower shoulders of the piece, which shows some decoration. This item is from the Canaanite Period, which was notoriously commercial for the transport of wine and oil to Egypt and Macenae. Complete and undamaged. Very large and in Extremely Fine condition.

Canaan is an ancient term for a region roughly corresponding to present-day Israel/Palestine including the West Bank, western Jordan, southern and coastal Syria and Lebanon continuing up to the border of modern Turkey. Various Canaanite sites have been excavated by archaeologists, most notably the Canaanite town of Ugarit, which was rediscovered in 1928. Much of our modern knowledge about the Canaanites stems from excavation in this area. Canaanite religion was the group of belief systems utilised by the people living in the ancient Levant throughout the Bronze Age and Iron Age. They were influenced strongly by Mesopotamian religious practices, Canaanite religious beliefs were polytheistic, with families typically focusing worship on household gods while acknowledging the existence of other deities such as Baal and El. Kings were also revered as gods.