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LOT 0777
Historic Spartan Basalt Cut and Polished Dark Green Porphyry Fragment Group
2 3/4 - 12 in. (2.1 kg total, 7 - 30.5 cm).
Mined in Greece, four irregular fragments cut and polished on one side, probably recycled material mined in ancient Roman times. [4]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market since the 1990s.
From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman.
Also known as Lapis Lacedaemonius and Porfido Verde Antico, a type of green porphyry quarried in Greece. Spartan basalt is a form of andesite or volcanic rock known today only from a single source in the village of Krokees on the Peloponnese in Greece. In addition, ancient sources mention a quarry of Lapis Lacedaemonius in Taygetus.
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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LOT 0777
Historic Spartan Basalt Cut and Polished Dark Green Porphyry Fragment Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
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'The Colchester' Roman Bronze Caduceus Sceptre Finial
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Monofacial openwork finial formed as a serpent entwined and knotted above a pair of spread wings; from a large statue of Mercury (Hermes). 77 grams, 10.7 cm
Found in Colchester in the 1960s. From a late gentleman archaeologist’s collection, thence by family descent. -
Roman Mosaic Floor Section Display
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
A triangular display of square tesserae set in a matrix. 189 grams, 10.5 cm
From a late Essex gentleman's collection, formed from the 1990s. -
Roman Red Jasper Gemstone with Cupid
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
With intaglio Cupid holding his bow beneath the curved branch of an olive tree; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.16 grams, 15.66 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
