Can’t find anything to quote at Bonham’s yet on this, but it’s interesting:
A lovely Roman marble bust that film director, Franco Zeffirrelli gave as a wedding gift to friends who worked with him on the filming of ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ will be sold at Bonhams next Antiquities Sale in London on April 28th.
Dating from the second century AD the Roman herm head traditionally used on the top of a pillar, is estimated to sell for £7,000 to £9,000. A wonderful photo of the bride and groom taken at their wedding with Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Zeffirelli will be sold with the bust they received from the film director.
A herm is a sculpted image of a god, thought to be originally Hermes. It stood in doorways, gardens or by the wayside for the protection of orchards and vineyards. There is also evidence that such an image was used in the performance of the ‘sacred marriage’ ritual in the Dionysiac mysteries connected with purification and fertility.
The filming of the ‘Taming of the Shrew’ in Rome in 1967 brought all these creative people together in a project that was critically acclaimed.
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