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LOT 0205
Historic Spartan Basalt Cut and Polished Green Porphyry Fragment
13 in. (6.19 kg total, 33 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 0205
Historic Spartan Basalt Cut and Polished Green Porphyry Fragment
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210
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Roman Glass Bottle
3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £150 - 200 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £83
Mould-blown bottle comprising a flat-based tubular body and short neck with returned flange rim. 94.2 grams, 14 cm
From an important London collection of glass, 1990s.
Most of similar examples of Roman bottles have been found in the Eastern Mediterranean. Earliest examples have been found in Roman Lusitania (Pombalinho-Santarem). The type lasted until the 4th century A.D. (Samaria-Sebaste, Israel). -
Roman Marble Face Fragment
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Plano-convex in section with exaggerated puffy cheeks and a small pursed mouth; possibly from a putto in a figural frieze. 1.21 kg, 15.5 cm
Acquired in the 1992. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Capricorn
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
With intaglio capricorn, forelegs extended; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.39 grams, 8.45 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
