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LOT 0080
Etruscan Carnelian Scarab with Deer
5TH CENTURY B.C.
3/8 in. (1.1 grams, 11 mm).
With carved anatomical detailing, the underside featuring a running stag with a long spear about to pierce its neck from behind.
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market.
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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Greek Campanian Bowl
South Italian, circa 4th-3rd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Broad and squat with thick rim and carinated foot. 17.4 grams, 44 mm
From the collection of David Donlan (1947-2025), a dedicated and lifelong collector with a passion for the ancient world and the natural sciences, forming his collection from 1960s onwards, using many reputable dealers across the United Kingdom, including the well-regarded Coincraft and The Parthenon Gallery. -
Greek Bronze Ring Bezel with Image of a Ptolemaic Queen
Hellenistic, 3rd-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Elliptical bezel with high-relief profile bust. 7.26 grams, 22 mm
Acquired on UK art market. Property of a Middlesex gentleman. -
Greek Terracotta Rhyton of a Goddess
3rd-2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
With flanged and stepped rim, tapering curved body, figural finial of the goddess with diadem; bands of red and cream geometric detail to the rim and upper body, red wave patterns to the inner face; the goddess modelled with carefully dressed hair and floral diadem, ringlets cascading to her collar bone, alert facial expression with almond-shaped eyes and prominent nose, with C-shaped billetted collar and chiton, cupping her left breast in her right hand; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.25 kg, 24 cm
Private collection, London, UK; formed 1970s-1980s. 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 search certificate number no.13312-258233.
It is challenging to identify the divinity represented on our vessel: it can be associated with Ariadne, wife of the god Dionysus, but also with a Parthian goddess such as Anahita. She was a Zoroastrian goddess associated with water, fertility, and wisdom, widely venerated across the Parthian Empire and often invoked alongside Ahura Mazda in royal and religious inscriptions. Rhyta in her likeness, typically terminating in a zoomorphic or divine protome, were used as ceremonial drinking vessels, reflecting Anahita's close association with libation and purification rites.
