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LOT 0398
Historic Spartan Basalt Cut and Polished Dark Green Porphyry Slab
17 1/4 in. (9.82 kg total, 44 cm including stand).
Cut and polished section, mined in Greece, cut and polished on one side, probably recycled material mined in ancient Roman times; mounted on a custom-made metal display stand.
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 0398
Historic Spartan Basalt Cut and Polished Dark Green Porphyry Slab
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
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Large Mosasaur 'Marine Dinosaur' Fossil Tooth with Natural Root
Cretaceous Period, circa 145-65 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
The tooth showing dark brown enamel, set in a sandstone matrix with a composite root for display. 562 grams, 14.5 cm
From Morocco, North Africa. From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
The Mosasaur is an extinct, large marine reptile dinosaur with an elongated body, long snout and paddle-like limbs. Found worldwide, they competed with other well-known sea predators of the Late Cretaceous, such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, for food, existing primarily on a diet of ammonoids, cuttlefish and fish. -
Agate Geode Display with Quartz Crystals
Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £270
A rounded geode section with highly polished borders showing white and brown banding, internal cavity lined with botryoidal formation covered with druzy quartz; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 3.7 kg total, 28 cm including stand
From Artigas, Uruguay. Property of a London lady. -
Polished Fossil Coral Head
Devonian Period, circa 417-354 million years B.P.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7
An irregular specimen showing the internal structure. 283 grams, 81 mm
From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
