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LOT 0856
Eastern Roman Bronze Head of a Bull
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (13.7 grams, 21 mm).
With pecked fur texture to the neck, cheeks and dewlap; slightly indented reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenancePrivate collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, 1990s, thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 242, for type.
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:
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Roman Redware Oil Lamp with Amphora
Circa 4th-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £176
Squat piriform profile with hatched shoulders, raised amphora motif to the discus, stub nozzle, flange handle; 'V' maker's mark to underside; waxed and polished. 152 grams, 11.1 cm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. -
Roman Gold Earring Pairs
2nd-3rd century A.D. or earlierEstimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Two pairs of earrings with decoratively twisted hoops, domed plaques and pyramid bulbs embellished with granule clusters; one pair with gold wire spirals to the plaques. 16.97 grams total, 42-50 mm
Acquired between 1950-1970s. Ex Swiss private collection. -
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Roman Votive Hand to God Sabazios
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
Hollow-formed right hand from a statuette, with fingers splayed and flat palm, good anatomical detailing. 362 grams, 12.1 cm
Private collection 1990s. Ex London, UK, gallery.
The votive character of the hand could link it to the God Sabazios, often associated with a number of archaeological finds depicting a bronze, right hand in the benedictio latina gesture. The hand appears to have had ritual significance and may have been affixed to a sceptre (as the one carried by Sabazios on a slab, one from Philippopolis, nowadays Plovdiv in Bulgaria). The association with Sabazios is sometimes suggested in similar hands, by the presence of a snake embossed around the circumference of the hand, because the iconic image of the god or hero on horseback battling the chthonic serpent, appears on Celtic-Roman votive columns, and with the coming of Christianity it was easily adapted to the representations of Saint George fighting the Dragon.
