Carnelian Gemstone with Bust of Zeus

Carved facing left, with deep-set hooded eyes and a hooked beak, stylised feather detailing to the head; mounted on a custom-made display base. 1.88 kg total, 23 cm high including stand



Ex Simmons Gallery, London E11, UK. Ex London collection, 1980s-1990s.

In the Greco-Roman world, the eagle was the symbol of Zeus. It is most probable that this eagle flanked a statue of the god. A story is bruited abroad to the effect that Zeus, wanting to determine the centre of the world, let eagles fly of equal speed from west and east. The birds, flying in opposite directions, met at Pytho and that marked the central point of the whole world.

Modelled in the round with naturalistic detailing, held held upwards and to the left. 20.2 grams, 40 mm high



‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.

Bifacial discharge plaque honesta missio, for a soldier from Commagene serving under Emperor Trajan; Side A: diplomatic text in fourteen lines of seriffed capitals: [IMPERATOR CAESAR DIVI NERVAE FILIVS NERVA TRAIANVS AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS DACICVS PONTIFEX MAXIMVS TRIBVNICIA POTESTATE VI IMPERATOR IIII CONSUL IIII PATER PATRIAE ... QUORUM NOMINA SUBSCRIPTA SUNT IPSIS LIBERIS POSTERISQUE EORVM CIVITATEM DEDIT ET CO] NUBIVM CVM UXORIBVS QVAS TVNC HABVISSENT CVM EST CIVITAS IIS DA- TA AVT SIQVI CELIBES ESSENT CVM IIS QUAS POSTEA DVXISSENT DVM- TAXAT SINGVLI SINGVLAS A (NTE) D(IEM) XIII K(ALENDAS) DECEMBR(ES) L(VCIO) ANTONIO ALBO M(ARCO) IVNIO HOMVLLO CO(N)S(VLIBVS) ALAE BOSPORANORVM CVI PRAEST C(AIVS) IVLIUS CAPITO GREGALI MARONAE BADDAEI F(ILIO) COMMAGEN(IENSI) DESCRIPT(VM) ET RECOGNIT(VM) EX TABVLA AENEA QVAE FIXA EST ROMAE Translation: The Emperor Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus, conqueror of Germany, conqueror of Dacia, son of the deified Nerva, pontifex maximus, in his sixth year of tribunician power, four times acclaimed Imperator, four times consul, father of his country, has granted to the ones...whose names are written below, citizenship for themselves, their children and descendants, and the right of legal marriage with the wives they had when citizenship was granted to them, or, if any were unmarried, with those they later marry, but only a single one each. 19 November, in the consulships of Lucius Antonius Albus and Marcus Iunius Homullus (A.D. 102). To Marona, son of Baddaus, from Commagene, soldier of the Ala Bosporanorum, commanded by Gaius Iulius Capito. Copied and checked from the bronze tablet set up at Rome. Side B: tabulation in two columns of witness names in seriffed rustic capitals: L. TERENTI • NEPOTIS (Seal of) Lucius Terentius Nepos T. VILLI • [hole for sealing the document] HERACLIDES (Seal of) Titus Villus Heraclides A. LARCI • PHRONIMI (Seal of) A. Larcius Phronimus Q • AEMILI • SOTERICI (Seal of) Quintus Aemilius Sotericus P. CAVLI • VITALIS (Seal of) Publius Caulius Vitalis L. PVLLI • [hole for sealing the document]CHARITONIS (Seal of) Lucius Pullius Chariton P. ATINI • TROPHIMI (Seal of) Publius Atinius Trophimus 214 grams, 17 cm



Ex old English collection. London art market, 1980s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11858-207740.

In the 1st century the Ala Bosporanorum was camped near the Euphrates. It was stationed in Dacia in the 2nd century; stayed for a while in Vecel, from where it went to Maroskeresztúr, where stamped bricks of their building work appear. The unit was also stationed in upper Pannonia in 116 A.D.