Ancient Roman rare and huge marble relief of Hypnos-Eros asleep, along with export license for the European Union - 30 cm

Sleeping Eros (Hypnos), superb marble sculptural relief from the Hellenistic period, dating to the 1st century BC. The piece, 30 cm high, 23 cm wide and 7 cm deep, shows Eros, the god of love, in a state of rest with his characteristic childlike, winged body. His relaxed posture, with his head resting on his right arm and his left arm holding a small bunch of fruit, conveys a feeling of calm and serenity. His delicate face and sweet features reinforce the idea of a peaceful rest, in clear reference to his link with Hypnos, the god of sleep.

The relief, worked with great skill in high relief, has a softly sculpted background that allows Eros' wings to stand out with a wealth of detail in the feathers. Although the piece is in good condition, it shows signs of natural aging of the marble, with small erosions and remains of patina that suggest its prolonged exposure. These characteristics suggest that it may have been part of an architectural structure, a mausoleum or a decorative element of a temple, given that representations of sleeping Eros were common in Hellenistic and Roman funerary sculpture.

During this period, the image of Eros evolved from its classical representation as a vigorous young man to a more tender and vulnerable figure, reflecting the ephemeral nature of love. This iconography is linked to the idea that love can be fleeting like a dream, and to its relationship with Thanatos, the god of death, reinforcing the Greek perception of existence as a cycle where sleep and death share the same symbolism. The inclusion of a bunch of fruit in Eros' hand could allude to fertility or abundance, reinforcing his role as a deity linked to desire and procreation.

Sculptures of sleeping Eros were particularly popular in Hellenistic workshops in the Aegean, such as those in Paros and Naxos, and are found in museum collections such as the Louvre and the British Museum. This piece, with its soft modelling and subtle expressiveness, is an exceptional testimony to the refinement achieved in late Hellenistic sculpture, where naturalism and emotional charge merge to convey a poetic image of the god of love at rest.

Acquired from a European private collection, H.V.M in the 80's.
- The piece includes an authenticity certificate as well as Spanish export license (Passport for European Union).

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 on 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 we may add an additional cost of shipping for every destination as the weight of the Eros with its support is heavy.