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LOT 0091
Etruscan Silver Ring with Amethyst Scarab Seal
4TH CENTURY B.C.
1 1/8 in. (5.44 grams, 30.77 mm overall, 25.27 mm internal diameter (approximate size British W, USA 11, Europe 25, Japan 24)).
Wire hoop with ends wound round the shank at each shoulder with one end detached, swivel-mounted amethyst scarab seal with flat underside, segmented border around a dolphin with putto mounted on its back.
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 43, for type; cf. also Torelli, M., Gli Etruschi, Monza, 2000, p.455, for similar.
FootnotesEgyptian-style scarabs and scaraboids were characteristic of Etruscan art from the 8th century B.C. Originally made in Phoenicia, Cyprus or Rhodes, these objects were made of faience, blue paste, glass paste and bone, or semi-precious stones of varying hardness, from steatite to quartz, onyx and jasper. Mounted in settings on revolving pendants of precious metal, which were later imitated by Etruscan goldsmiths, these Egyptianising items performed prophylactic-religious functions, through the use of sacred or magical imagery taken from hieroglyphic language: royal names or titles, theonyms, sacred symbols, and auspicious formulas.
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AUCTIONS:
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Greek Bronze Wine Strainer with Swan-Head Handles
4th-3rd century B.C.Estimate: £7,000 - 9,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £3,889
Comprising a shallow bowl and broad flange rim, two integral scalloped handles with lateral scrolled flourishes, each tapering to a S-curved handle with swan-head terminals with incised eye and beak detailing; perforated whirl within roundel to interior base; accompanied by a custom-made display stand with mirror. 402 grams total, 19.7 cm including stand
with Hôtel des ventes de Belfort Sarl, October 2011, no.16. Acquired by the present owner at the above sale. 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.12209-222140. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Elaborate gilded strainers, such as this present example, were used at symposia and festive occasions for the purpose of preventing the dregs of wine from entering the wine cup. This and other related silver utensils became popular in the later 4th and 3rd century B.C. These highly decorated wine strainers were fitted with dual handles forming loops in the shape of twisting animals, here a swan. Usually they took the form of a shallow dish complete with four rings of perforations in the centre in order to drain the wine. Strainers of this type were used to separate out sediments which could be found in the thick Greek wine. Examples similar to this one have been found in royal tombs in northern Greece, as well as the tomb of a monarch in Sudan. -
Greek Bronze Head of Alexander 'The Great'
3rd-2nd century B.C.Estimate: £8,000 - 10,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,778
Modelled in the round with wavy hair brushed forwards, large lentoid eyes in low-relief, angular nose and small mouth; attachment lug to underside; mounted on a custom-made stand. 142 grams total, 10.2 cm including stand
Collection of Mr C., Geneva, Switzerland (1936-2016), assembled between 1985 and 2010. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12857-241703. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Greek Terracotta Figure of a Kore
5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Hollow-formed moulded figure of a maiden standing, wearing a long peplos robe, with carefully dressed hair in hanks; right arm holding a pouch, left arm absent. 173 grams, 18 cm
Acquired on the European art market in the early 2000s. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.