Bidspirit auction | ROMAN BASALT ALTAR WITH HELIOPOLITAN

ROMAN BASALT ALTAR WITH HELIOPOLITAN DEITIES - Ca. 2th-3rd century AD.A sacred Roman stone altar. A beautiful example of Roman-Oriental religious syncretism. On each side a portrayal of a deity: Apollo Helios, nimbate and radiate; a female head that reminds the Syrian goddess Aphrodite - Astarte; a diademed bearded man with short wavy hair, probably resembling Zeus Helios; finally Tyche, with turret crown. The whole is enriched by the repetition of a symmetrical couple of stylised phytomorphic elements. Size: 410mm x 330mm ; Weight: 73.4kgProvenance: Property of a central London gallery, acquired on the UK art market; formerly with an Italian Noble family since 1980s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.