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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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Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
3rd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
A mixed group of ceramic bullae, tesserae or theatre tokens bearing low-relief motifs, mainly consisting of profile busts of deities. 32 grams total, 15-20 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The term 'tessera' was used in Roman times to convey the Greek term σύμβολον (token). Small tiles are known as tokens, often shaped like coins, made of metal (copper, lead, iron), clay, bone, wood, or glass, stamped as well as engraved. The tokens, however, are not exclusively coin-shaped, as the Latin term 'tessera' suggests by etymologically referring to a square or at least a four-sided shape and confirmed in several cases by material remains of the past. Tokens and tesserae seem to have been used both in Athens and Rome for the distribution of goods. According to written sources, the term token is identified with credentials of the official authorities. They have also been interpreted as tokens of identity, as entrance tickets to theatre performances, tribunals or assemblies of citizens, archival material of seal engraving, as pawns in games, Charon’s obols and even as amulets. -
Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
3rd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
A mixed group of ceramic bullae, tesserae or theatre tokens bearing low-relief motifs, mainly consisting of profile busts of deities. 31 grams total, 14-20 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The term 'tessera' was used in Roman times to convey the Greek term σύμβολον (token). Small tiles are known as tokens, often shaped like coins, made of metal (copper, lead, iron), clay, bone, wood, or glass, stamped as well as engraved. The tokens, however, are not exclusively coin-shaped, as the Latin term 'tessera' suggests by etymologically referring to a square or at least a four-sided shape and confirmed in several cases by material remains of the past. Tokens and tesserae seem to have been used both in Athens and Rome for the distribution of goods. According to written sources, the term token is identified with credentials of the official authorities. They have also been interpreted as tokens of identity, as entrance tickets to theatre performances, tribunals or assemblies of citizens, archival material of seal engraving, as pawns in games, Charon’s obols and even as amulets. -
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Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Minerva
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
With intaglio Minerva standing with spear over her shoulder; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.61 grams, 12.29 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
