Roman-Egyptian bust of "Serapis" in bronze, 1st-2nd Century A.D.
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This freestanding bronze casting depicts a draped bust of Serapis emerging from a chalice of acanthus leaves, a visual device that emphasizes his generative nature. The work is notable for its deep and expressive modeling, featuring a forked beard with pronounced curls and a mustache with long sideburns that lend the face a strong sense of chiaroscuro.
The hair follows the Alexandrian style, with the characteristic five locks (anastolé) falling rhythmically across the forehead. A conical modius sits atop the head, decorated with incisions depicting olive branches. The god wears a chiton whose V-shaped folds lend a classical symmetry to the ensemble.
Technically, the piece retains an extraordinary green archaeological patina, highlighting the intense blue azurite concretions located under the chin and in the folds of the drapery. The eye sockets, now empty, suggest that they originally held glass paste inlays, designed to give the deity a penetrating and divine gaze.
Historical context
This bust of Serapis dates to the High Roman Empire (1st–2nd centuries AD), a period when Eastern cults were at their peak in Rome. Serapis is the result of a religious syncretism promoted in the 3rd century BC by Ptolemy I, who sought to unify the Greek and Egyptian populations by merging the deities Osiris and Apis (Osirapis).
The figure of Serapis represents one of the most successful theological and political experiments of antiquity. Its origin dates back to the reign of Ptolemy I Soter, who sought a deity capable of blending the millennia-old Egyptian religious tradition with the new Macedonian ruling class. To achieve this, the essence of Osiris (death and resurrection) was fused with that of Apis (the sacred bull, symbol of strength and fertility), giving rise to an entity that, though deeply Egyptian in concept, manifested itself through a purely Hellenic aesthetic. This duality allowed Serapis to be accepted by both the priests of Memphis and the philosophers of the Library of Alexandria, becoming the official protector of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Iconographically, Serapis was conceived as a multifaceted deity, a “total god” who combined the functions of the principal Olympian gods. His most common depiction—as seen in this bust—associates him with Zeus for his sovereignty, with Hades for his dominion over the afterlife, and with Asclepius for his ability to perform miracles and healings. The modius or kalathos crowning his head not only symbolizes the abundance and fertility of the earth but also underscores his role as guarantor of the wheat supply (the annona), vital to the sustenance of the Roman Empire. After the fall of the Ptolemaic dynasty, the Romans adopted his cult with such fervor that the Serapeum of Alexandria became one of the most important spiritual centers in the entire Mediterranean.
Gustave Mustaki
This exceptional piece comes from the renowned Mustaki Collection, assembled in the city of Alexandria during the first half of the 20th century. Gustave Mustaki, a Greek citizen living in the vibrant Alexandria of the early 20th century, succeeded in building one of the most significant private collections of antiquities of his time, focusing primarily on pieces from the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. Between 1947 and 1949, Mustaki began the legal proceedings to transfer his collection to the United Kingdom, a process that culminated in the granting of an official license by the Egyptian government; although the state retained the objects of greatest national significance, it authorized the export of numerous crates containing amulets, scarabs, and statuettes. This transfer finally took place in May 1953, when shipping records confirmed the collection’s arrival in London, where it was initially held in storage at Harrods before being handed over to his daughter, Elsa MacLellan.
After arriving on British soil, the collection began to be dispersed through Elsa MacLellan, who facilitated the sale of the pieces through renowned galleries, with Charles Ede Ltd. playing a particularly prominent role. The traceability and historical value of these objects were reinforced by expert cataloging led by Carol Andrews, former curator of the Egyptian Department at the British Museum, which has ensured their authenticity in the art market.
Over the decades, and through the mediation of figures and entities such as Folio Fine Art Ltd. and Julia Schottlander of Tetragon, Mustaki’s pieces have found their way into the collections of world-renowned institutions, including the Getty Museum, the British Museum itself, and the Egyptian National Museum. Following MacLellan’s death, the remaining pieces passed to his son, thus continuing the legacy of a collection that was actively traded in London well into the 21st century.
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