Loading, please wait...
LOT 0223
Byzantine Gemstone with the Personification of Constantinople
5TH CENTURY A.D.
2 3/8 in. (2.86 grams, 59 mm).
Carnelian cabochon in gold cell with ropework border, ribbed loop and chain sections; intaglio figure of Constantinople standing wearing full panoply of armour with crested helmet, holding an oval shield, a spear and supporting a globus cruciger; supplied with an impression of the seal and housed in a custom-made display case.
ProvenanceAcquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Important North West London collection.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.11933-210475.
Cf. similar specimens in Spier, J.B., Late Antique and Early Christian Gems, Wiesbaden, 2007, pl.69, nos.561-562; for similar iconography see Zalesskaya, V.N., Early Byzantine Glyptic Art in the Hermitage Collection, Saint Petersburg, 2001, pp.175-176, fig.13; Demandt, A., Engemann, J., Imperator Caesar Flavius Constantinus - Konstantin der Grosse, Mainz, 2007, p.172, on various iconographies of personification of Constantinople.
FootnotesThe oval gem shows the personification of the new capital of the Roman Empire: Νέα Ρώμη, Constantinople, founded by Constantine the Great on the shores of the Bosphorus, on the site of the ancient Greek Megarese colony of Byzantium, on 11 May 330 A.D. The city was the new centre of the Roman Empire for the next 1123 years.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0223
Byzantine Gemstone with the Personification of Constantinople
Estimate £10,000 - 14,000€11,600 - 16,240 (for guidance only)$13,500 - 18,900 (for guidance only)
-
Byzantine Gold Pendant
Circa 6th-8th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Of capsule form, possibly an amulet case; openwork filigree body and domed terminals with apex granules with filigree collars; three suspension loops above, each with a filigree collar. 0.76 grams, 15 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Byzantine Bronze Signet Ring with Two Birds
12th-15th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
With a carinated hoop, notched shoulders supporting a circular bezel with two stylised birds. 4.02 grams, 21.25 mm overall, 17.03 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)
Private collection formed since the 1940s. UK art market. Property of an Essex gentleman. -
Byzantine Bronze Cross Pendant Group
Circa 12th-14th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Comprising: one with a low-relief Corpus Christi; one with five incised ring-and-dot markings; one with a square central panel and short arms with knop finials; one with conical arms, loop partially absent. 18.4 grams total, 24-45 mm
From the collection of a High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK, gentleman, circa 2000.
