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LOT 0072
Greek Gold and Jet Diadem with Masks
HELLENISTIC, 3RD-2ND CENTURY B.C.
8 1/2 in. (22.5 grams, 21.6 cm).
A gold necklace or diadem composed of twenty-two articulated units each in the form of a complex shields terminating in finials decorated with palmettes executed in filigree; body consists of shield-shaped jet(?) elements with a central rhomboid panel, joined above and below by triangular sections decorated with granulated triangles; the perimeter of each shield framed by a soldered beaded wire; at the centre of each rhomboid panel, an embossed appliqué mask in low relief; to the reverse of each element, two vertically aligned loops formed from narrow gold strips and intended for articulation; offered in a lined wooden display case.
ProvenanceEx M. Velensky collection, London, UK, 1990s.
Accompanied by a copy of a four page examination report number 90/2015 by Dr habil Mikhail Treister.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13104-248043.
See The Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 13.234.1, for clasps.
FootnotesThe terminals are comparatively rare survivals, decorated with palmettes in filigree, a feature only occasionally attested among comparable assemblages from Bosporan contexts. The overall typology, decorative programme, and construction techniques closely parallel examples recovered from well-documented burials at Phanagoria, Pantikapaion, Tanais, and Tsukur-Liman. Comparable necklaces combining shield elements with embossed human heads are particularly characteristic of the 3rd-2nd centuries BC. According to the examination conducted by Dr habil. Mikhail Treister, there is nothing to challenge the authenticity of the object. The specific form, restricted geographic distribution, and close parallels suggest manufacture within a workshop of the Bosporan Kingdom, most plausibly in Phanagoria, one of its principal production centres during the Hellenistic period.
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 Red-Figure Bell Krater
Campanian, 340-325 B.C.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,500
With notable added white details; Side A: woman moving to her right while holding a cista, dressed in a chiton clinched at the waist, with a himation draped over her left arm, her hair adorned with a sakkos; Side B: profile head of a woman wearing a patterned sakkos and radiated stephane, intricate earrings and necklace of beads, objects in the field; beneath the handles, palmettes with floral elements. 585 grams, 18 cm high
Ex Rev. & Mrs T.S. Hichens, Cornwall with Charles Ede, 1981 (Stock No.8370). Ex Mrs B. Shankes, November 1986. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13068-248976.
Bell kraters were commonly used in regions of ancient Italy for mixing and serving wine during communal gatherings, thanks to their wide shape and flared mouth. These vessels also served as artistic expressions, reflecting the cultural tastes of the time. The Chevron Group is the conventional name for a group of ancient Apulian red-figure vase painters who were active in Southern Italy between approximately 335-310 BC. They are named for their distinctive use of a band of chevron patterns to encircle the rims of the small kraters (mixing vessels) they decorated. -
Greek Attic Red-Figure Fragment Collection
5th-4th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Comprising irregular fragments depicting draped females, a standing nude male, a satyr body and a draped young man. 143 grams total, 87-116 mm
From the stock of a former UK antiquarian, acquired at trade fairs and from private collection formed in the 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Europe. -
Graeco-Roman Bronze Mirror
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Discoid flat-section body with a tongue-shaped, pierced handle. 150 grams, 13 cm
London, UK, art market, 1980s. Private collection, London, UK.
