Loading, please wait...
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:
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.
-
Greek Silver Didrachm of Rhodes in Gold Pendant
Circa 454-404 B.C.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,111
Obv: head of Helios facing slightly right. Rev: RODION legend above rose with bud on the right; bunch of grapes over E in left field; the coin enclosed in a modern double circular gold frame stamped '750' set with colourless stones. 11.86 grams, 35 mm
Roma Numismatics, E-LIVE Auction 4, 29 November 2018, no.155. Private collection of Mr K.A., France. with Kallos Gallery, London. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13025-246752.
The coinage of Rhodes city began around 408/7 B.C. with the introduction of a silver coinage bearing a deeply cut image of Helios, seen full-face with luxuriant hair, blown back by the wind. Helios’ imposing image was paired with that of a rose (a pun on the name of the city) and also the city’s ethnic, POΔION, meaning ‘of Rhodes’. -
Greek Red-Figure Kylix with Dancing Nymphs and Satyrs
Attic, 5th century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
With short stem and broad bowl with carination at the shoulder; two strap handles with an ivy-leaf with tendrils and volutes underneath; the underside of the bowl with a frieze of four satyrs and four maenads performing a dance, the maenads dressed in fancy Ionian dress, long peplos and himation, and a kekrykephalos (hair net) on their heads, and holding a thyrsus in their right hands; the centre of the cup showing dancing Silenus and a nymph, dressed in a similar manner and holding a thyrsus, border of meanders and chequered squares surrounding; restored. 875 grams, 37 cm wide
Ex Dr Gonik and the late Mr Wirth, 1960-1970s. Private collection, Switzerland. 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 a search certificate number no.12573-232109.
Silenus, the only individualised satyr, was a companion and tutor to the wine god Dionysus, and he is represented here in the place of honour. He is typically older than the satyrs of the Dionysian retinue (thiasos) and his representation on the tondo symbolises respect towards his senior position. -
Etruscan Carnelian Scarab with Hercules at a Fountain in Gold Ring
3rd century B.C.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Hoop made from D-section wire with coils to the shoulders, scarab bezel with carapace detailing and intaglio of a standing nude figure of Hercules holding a club and amphora at a stream, enclosed by a roped border. 5.73 grams, 22.52 mm overall, 18.68 x 16.58 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)
Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, England.
