Ancient Roman Terracotta Terrakottafragment des Harpokrates - 7 cm
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€ 10
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 300 - € 380
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Terracotta fragment of Harpokrates, Ancient Roman, 7 × 7 × 4 cm, dating to the Roman period (ca. 1–4 CE), with a reddish-brown patina, fragmentary and mounted on a modern display stand; acquired in 2025 from a private German collection and authenticated as original/official.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Small ancient terracotta fragment with a relief depiction of Harpocrates, the Hellenistic-Roman representation of the child god Horus. The youthful face with curly hair is still clearly recognizable, together with the characteristic rounded head and surviving elements of the original composition.
Harpocrates was a widely venerated deity during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods in Egypt. He symbolized childhood, protection, rebirth, and silence, and was closely associated with domestic worship and personal devotion. Terracotta figures and reliefs of this type were commonly produced as votive offerings, household cult objects, or devotional images.
The surface displays an attractive reddish-brown to dark brown patina with age-related wear, minor losses, and mineral deposits, all consistent with its archaeological character.
Condition: Fragmentary. Age-related wear, minor losses, and mineral encrustations. Mounted on a modern display stand.
Provenance:
Formerly in the Madeleine & Erich Dammann Collection, Germany.
Acquired during the collectors’ extensive travels between 1950 and 1970. The collection is documented in Germany by 1970 through historical photographs of the family residence and subsequently remained in continuous family ownership.
The objects were acquired privately during the collectors’ travels. As was customary for private purchases made at local markets during the 1950s and 1960s, purchase receipts or invoices were generally neither issued nor requested.
Historical photographs and biographical documentation relating to the Dammann Collection are available and support the long-standing provenance of the collection.
Small ancient terracotta fragment with a relief depiction of Harpocrates, the Hellenistic-Roman representation of the child god Horus. The youthful face with curly hair is still clearly recognizable, together with the characteristic rounded head and surviving elements of the original composition.
Harpocrates was a widely venerated deity during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods in Egypt. He symbolized childhood, protection, rebirth, and silence, and was closely associated with domestic worship and personal devotion. Terracotta figures and reliefs of this type were commonly produced as votive offerings, household cult objects, or devotional images.
The surface displays an attractive reddish-brown to dark brown patina with age-related wear, minor losses, and mineral deposits, all consistent with its archaeological character.
Condition: Fragmentary. Age-related wear, minor losses, and mineral encrustations. Mounted on a modern display stand.
Provenance:
Formerly in the Madeleine & Erich Dammann Collection, Germany.
Acquired during the collectors’ extensive travels between 1950 and 1970. The collection is documented in Germany by 1970 through historical photographs of the family residence and subsequently remained in continuous family ownership.
The objects were acquired privately during the collectors’ travels. As was customary for private purchases made at local markets during the 1950s and 1960s, purchase receipts or invoices were generally neither issued nor requested.
Historical photographs and biographical documentation relating to the Dammann Collection are available and support the long-standing provenance of the collection.
Details
Culture
Ancient Roman
Century/timeframe
römische Zeit, ca. 1.–4. Jh. n. Chr.
Name of object
Terrakottafragment des Harpokrates
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2025
Material
Terracotta
Country acquired from
Germany
Condition
Fair
Previous owner acquired from
Antique market
Height
7 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1960
Width
7 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Unknown
Depth
4 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
