Loading, please wait...
LOT 0388
Eastern Post-Classical Agate Gemstone of a Dionysiac Bull with Vine Leaf in Ancient Silver Pendant
19TH CENTURY A.D. AND EARLIER
1 1/4 in. (14.81 grams, 32 mm).
Silver cell with beaded band to the equator, fragment of suspension loop; inset sardonyx gemstone with possibly later intaglio profile bull on a baseline with head lowered; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenancePrivate English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s.
Private collection, London, UK.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13149-248676.
TimeLine 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 0388
Eastern Post-Classical Agate Gemstone of a Dionysiac Bull with Vine Leaf in Ancient Silver Pendant
Estimate £3,000 - 4,000€3,480 - 4,640 (for guidance only)$4,050 - 5,400 (for guidance only)
-
Large Post-Classical Agate Gemstone Depicting a Double Portrait of Hellenistic Rulers
19th century A.D. or earlierEstimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Intaglio jugate busts of a bearded male with browband in the foreground and female bust to the rear with diadem; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 7.37 grams, 31 mm
with Hotel des Ventes de Monte-Carlo, 2022. Private collection, England.
The image portrays human rulers as Zeus and Hera/Jupiter and Juno. -
Silver-Gilt Mounted Jet 'Figa' Amulet
Spain, 17th century A.D.Estimate: £700 - 900 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
Formed as a hand showing figa gesture, silver mount with applied twisted wires; attachment loop and ring to the top. 19.6 grams, 56 mm
Private collection, Europe. Acquired on the English art market.
Mano Fico, as protective amulets have been used since the ancient world, it was believed to protect from the evil eye and other dark and magical forces and to promote fertility. In ancient Rome, the fig sign, or mano fico, was made by the pater familias (father of the family) to ward off the evil spirits of the dead as a part of the Lemuria ritual. The ancient Greeks wore amulets of the gesture around the neck to protect from the evil eye, and also used the gesture in artwork. What they considered an overtly sexual gesture was expected to distract evil spirits from causing harm. The pendant would have been worn from a belt or from a chatelaine containing other protective talismans. This carving would have served as a token representing a person's pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, one of the very few places in which jet can be found and mined since at least the Middle Ages. -
Tudor Bronze Clothes Hook Fastener Group
16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
A mixed group of hooked fasteners including disc-shaped, leaf-shaped, shell and foliage plaque; each with suspension lug. 18.87 grams total, 31-56 mm
From the private collection of the late Graham Slater (1927-2024), Cambridge, UK, acquired 1980s-1990s.
