Ancient Roman Marble Sculpture of the Greek hero Meleager with a dog, together with a Spanish export license. - 73 cm

Impressive marble sculpture, carved in the round and measuring 73 cm tall, represents the Greek hero Meleager. The piece, with a strong classical influence, is inspired by the famous original bronze by the sculptor Scopas of the 4th century BC, the best-known version of which is in the Pio-Clementine Museum in the Vatican. Scopas was, along with Praxiteles and Lysippus, one of the three great sculptors representative of the second phase of Greek Classicism.

The figure shows a young man in a reclining attitude, adopting an elegant contrapposto that highlights the anatomy and the potential dynamism of the body. The hero is shown wearing a short tunic—known as a chlamys—that fell to one shoulder and was typical of Greek ephebes and horsemen between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC. The tunic is intricately carved with deep, detailed folds, especially along its lower edge, where a decorative treatment in the form of a dotted border can be seen.

Around the neck hangs a medallion with a lion's head, a symbol of strength and heroism, reinforcing the figure's mythical identity. To his left side, beneath his foot, appears a partially carved dog, crouching, looking upwards towards Meleager. This animal figure complements the mythological tale and alludes to his role as a hunter.

Meleager, son of Althea and King Aeneus of Calydon, was one of the most legendary hunters in Greek mythology. His most famous feat was the hunt for the Calydonian boar, a beast sent by the goddess Artemis in revenge for not having been honored in a royal sacrifice. In this feat, Meleager led an expedition that included the heroine Atalanta, with whom he fell in love. It was she who wounded the animal, and Meleager who finished it off, offering her the skin as a reward. This gesture sparked a family conflict that tragically ended with Meleager's own death.

The sculpture, despite having lost its head and arms, retains great expressive power thanks to the quality of the work on the musculature, the posture, and the folds of the garment. It is likely a Roman copy of a Greek original, made between the 1st century BC and the 2nd century AD, at a time when the Roman elite sought to surround themselves with heroic images of great symbolic and aesthetic significance.

Acquired from the Spanish private collection of the Doctor B.M collected before 1985.
-The piece includes an authenticity certificate as well as Spanish export license

IMPORTANT: Due to the new laws on the export of archaeological pieces, we have decided to NO LONGER sell outside the European territory for the following countries: SWITZERLAND & UNITED STATES of AMERICA.
For other destinations out of European territory: all our items will be shipped after obtaining a definitive LICENSE EXPORTATION by the Ministry of Culture of Spain. We inform our clients that it may take between
4-8 weeks. According to Spanish legislation, items sent outside the European Union are subjected to export taxes. The taxes will be added to the invoice, at the buyer's expense. These export fees are fixed on the final auction price, and the tax rate is not applied directly to the total value of the item to be exported, but rather the different percentages by sections are applied to it:
Up to 6,000 euros: 5%. / From 6.001 to 60.000 euros: 10 %.

Please note that for far destination (Asia, middle east etc.. ), there will be an additional cost for the shipping.

Due to holidays, the Gallery will be closed in August, all the deliveries will be made in the first weeks of September. Many thanks for your patience.
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