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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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Large Roman Deep Blue Glass Date Flask
1st century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,111
Mould-blown with elliptical body, short neck and thick everted rim, with modelled wrinkles imitating the texture of a dried date. 41.7 grams, 80 mm
Dr Gonik & Me Wirth, Geneva, 1970s. Private collection, Europe. 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.12394-226935.
Dates were not only a staple of the Mediterranean diet, used to sweeten food and wine, but also a symbol for the New Year and a fruit often given as a gift on the occasion. -
Roman Gold Bell Pendant
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Formed as a six-petalled flower with deeply grooved petals, a hanging loop at the centre with a separate bar attachment and a glass bead. 1.72 grams, 23.4 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Black Gemstone with Bird
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
With intaglio bird perching on a branch; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.56 grams, 12.46 mm.
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
