Christian Levett is a British investment manager, philanthropist, and collector of artwork covering various styles and periods. Most notably, he ran the Mougins Museum of Classical Art (MMCA) in Mougins, France, which opened in 2011. It is closed as of this year to make way for another Levett museum focused on female artists. A considerable amount of the artwork from the MMCA was auctioned with Christie’s, including an array of busts and statues from the Mediterranean world, as part of Christie’s Classics Week.
The sale, titled Antiquities from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, took place on 4 December 2024. The sale’s highest-earning lot was a Roman two-faced marble head that included the Greek god Bacchus and the mythical princess Ariadne, which sold for £567,000 (US$722,891) and is at least 1700 years old.
It was followed by an array of other marble statues from the Romans and vases from the Greeks, but also some Egyptian artwork, including a bronze cat and a mummy mask, which sold above their estimated prices. The sale as a whole sold all of its 39 lots and made £2,102,940 (around US$2.68 million) in total.
Lot 29 | A Monumental Roman Marble Janiform Herm of Bacchus and Ariadne
Circa 2nd - 3rd Century A.D.
Discovered in Beth Shean, Israel
Height: 45 cm
Provenance:
- Said to have been discovered at Beth Shean, Israel
- Somerset Struben de Chair (1911-1995), Chilham Castle, Kent and St. Osyth's Priory, Essex, acquired in Jerusalem, 1941; thence by descent to his son, Rodney de Chair (1935-2012), Chichester
- Antiquities, Bonham's, London, 1 May 2008, lot 221
Estimate: £200,000 - 300,000
Hammer Price: £450,000
Sold: £567,000 (US$722,891)
Greek mythology is full of interesting characters and individuals. While broader society remembers gods and demi-gods such as Zeus, Hades, and Hercules, the pantheon was quite vast and included other individuals. These included Bacchus, otherwise known as Dionysus, who recently received some attention following his inclusion in the controversial opening ceremony at the Paris Olympics over the summer. Bacchus/Dionysus is the Greek god of wine, orchards, fruits, vegetables, festivities, and more. He had quite a few cults dedicated to him and was seen as a joyful god due to his focus on wine and parties.
Another figure in Greek mythology, and included in this lot, was Ariadne. The daughter of the King of Crete, King Minos, she is part of the myth that features the famous Greek monster, the minotaur. In that tale, the Greek divine hero Theseus is imprisoned by King Minos of Crete in the labyrinth to be eaten by the minotaur. Ariadne helps him escape, but he abandons her on the island of Naxos. There Bacchus spots her, falls in love, and marries her later on, granting her immortality.
The myth is possibly best immortalized in the well-known Titian painting Bacchus and Ariadne. It depicts the moments after Ariadne was abandoned on Naxos by Theseus and Bacchus, leaping towards her from a chariot drawn by two cheetahs.
Titian (1488-1576) | Bacchus and Ariadne (1522-23) 176.5 x 191 cm | National Gallery, London
The side of the statue with Bacchus' face
The side of the statue with Ariadne’s face
Many will notice that this statue's most interesting part is that it has two faces on one head, back-to-back. This head was once on a statue called a herm. It would have been found at the top of a stone slab and located in towns, crossroads, bridges, doorways, and anywhere else that might have a boundary or crossing. They were seen as both luxurious items to be owned by the rich and powerful but also statues that offered protection to those traveling.
Herms with two faces are a variant of the traditional herm and are sometimes referred to as a double herm. They tend to represent people of a similar field or level of power together, such as the double herm of the Greek philosopher Socrates and the Roman statesman Seneca. In the case of this lot, the double herm represents two figures in the same myth.
Lot 5 | An Egyptian Bronze Cat
Circa Late Period, 26th-30th Dynasty, 664-343 B.C.
Height: 22.5 cm
Provenance:
- London art market
- Antiquities, Christie’s, London, 28th November 1979, lot 231
- Irish private collection, acquired at the above
- Antiquities, Christie's, London, 26th April 2012, lot 136
- with David Aaron Ancient Arts, London
- Acquired by the current owner from the above, 2020
Estimate: £60,000 - 80,000
Hammer Price: £110,000
Sold: £138,600 (US$176,706)
The reverence Ancient Egyptian society held for cats is one of the most well-known parts of their culture. However, contrary to one of the more popular ideas about cats, they were not worshiped; rather, they were perceived as having some connection to or representation of divinity, rather than being divine themselves.
This relationship between Egyptians and cats started practical, with cats providing Egyptians a way to keep away pests such as scorpions and snakes. Soon they began being depicted alongside gods, such as the Sun God Ra, because in the context of cats fighting snakes, this could be translated to the deity of snakes, Apopis’ battle with Ra, otherwise known as their version of heaven battling the underworld.
Within this branch of thinking and society’s relationship with cats, this evolved into cats being seen as important parts of funerals. It was hoped that by placing iconography of cats, including statues, around people when they were buried, cats would continue to provide them good luck and aid in the afterlife.
While this bronze statue is not confirmed to be one used in funerals, other similar statuettes found in museums such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art are explicitly representatives of protection in the afterlife and are buried alongside people during funeral rites. The cat is also wearing an aegis pendant, a symbol of good luck, another factor pointing at this lot being used in a funeral.
Lot 7 | An Egyptian Gilt Cartonnage Mummy Mask
Circa Ptolemaic Period - Roman Period, 1st Century B.C.-1st Century A.D.
Height: 33 cm
Provenance:
- Maurice Jules Abel Lefranc (1863-1952), Élincourt-Sainte-Marguerite and Paris, acquired late 19th century; thence by descent
- Miniatures, Tableaux, Archéologie, Asie, Objets d'art, Art Nouveau, Art Déco, Design, Mobilier; Binoche et Giquello, Hôtel Drouot, Paris, 19 June 2013, lot 91
- with Sycomore Ancient Art, Geneva
- Acquired by the present owner from the above, 2014
Estimate: £40,000 - 60,000
Hammer Price: £65,000
Sold: £81,900 (US$104,497)
Egypt’s Ptolemaic period is characterized by increased Greek influence in Egypt, including its culture. This was caused by Alexander the Great's conquest of the region and the establishment of a Greek dynasty by one of his generals. This was followed by the period of Roman conquest and rule.
However, Egyptian culture continued to persist and, in fact, integrated with aspects of European culture. This lot, a mummy mask, exhibits this blending of cultures almost perfectly, as the traditional burial item became imbued with aspects of European art and culture, leading to this hybrid lot of Egyptian cultural practices with Mediterranean flair.
Mummy masks were part of the mummification process done for burial, in line with the customs of providing protection and help for those who had passed on. The masks were meant to be idealized versions of the person who had died so that in the afterlife one's spirit may recognize themself. These masks were made out of various materials and painted in various shades, with the ones with a gold tone wishing to be associated with the god of the dead, Osiris.
The usage of gold during the Greek and Roman periods seemed to be more pronounced, with the dead being adorned with gold leaf. The increased usage of gold seems to be an influence from Europe, with Greek rule in Egypt seeing an increased usage of gold coins.
Other Highlight Lots:
Lot 26 | A Roman Limestone Figure of Antinous
Circa Reign of Hadrian, 130-138 A.D.
Height: 150 cm
Provenance:
- Monnaies; icones russes en bois; antiques; importantes sculptures en marbre; haute curiositè, haute èpoque, Mes. Laurin, Guilloux, Buffetaud, Tailleur, Drouot Rive Gauche, Paris, 27 March 1979, lot 73
- Jacques Mougin, France, acquired 1985-1993
- with Jean-David Cahn, Basel, acquired from the above, 2004
- with Royal-Athena Galleries, New York, acquired from the above (Art of the Ancient World, vol. XVIII, 2007, no. 13)
- Acquired by the current owner from the above, 2008
Estimate: £100,000 - 150,000
Hammer Price: £155,000
Sold: £195,300 (US$249,511)
Lot 34 | A Roman Marble Portrait Bust of the Emperor Caracalla
Circa Severan Period, 212-217 A.D.
Height: 50 cm
Provenance:
- with Dennis & Leen, Los Angeles, 1976
- with Chaucer Fine Arts, London, Acquired from the above, 1977 (Rome a Vision of Antiquity, 1980, no.53).
- Antiquities, Bonhams, London, 28 October 2009, lot 224
Estimate: £70,000-100,000
Hammer Price: £130,000
Sold: £163,800 (US$209,267)
Lot 22 | A Roman Marble Portrait Head of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Circa Antonine Period, 170-180 A.D.
Height: 45 cm
Provenance:
- Piers von Westenholz, Much Hadham, East Hertfordshire, 1970s
- with Peter Hinwood, London, acquired from the above, 1984
- The Property of a Gentleman; Antiquities, Christie's, London, 7 November 2001, lot 328
- with Oliver Forge and Brendan Lynch Ltd., London
- Acquired by the current owner from the above, 2009
Estimate: £60,000-80,000
Hammer Price: £80,000
Sold: £100,800 (US$128,780)
Auction Details:
Auction House: Christie's London
Sale: Antiquities from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art
Date: 4 December 2024
Number of Lots: 39
Sold: 39
Sale Rate: 100%
Sale Total: £2,102,940 (US$2,686,674)