Loading, please wait...
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0205
Historic Spartan Basalt Cut and Polished Green Porphyry Fragment
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210
-
Roman Bronze Chariot Mount with Bust of Silenus
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £15,000 - 20,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £7,500
Ovoid in profile with hollow reverse, modelled in high-relief with pallium tied at his right shoulder and garland draped across his shoulders and wreath of ivy around his brow; mounted on a custom-made stand. 435 grams total, 13.5 cm including stand
Private Swiss collection, before 1976. with Bonhams Antiquities, London, 3rd October 2000, no.202. Private European collection. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00038120. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages. 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 search certificate number no.13216-249243.
This type of mount was probably used as bridle holders and placed near the driver’s seat, on the wagon platform or as a central decoration on the back of the wagon. -
Roman Bronze Bracelet with Animal Heads
Circa 3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Round-section penannular body with stylised beast-head terminals. 14.72 grams, 65 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Orange Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £195
Composed of gently graduating beads with larger beads as a central feature, restrung. 8.01 grams, 38 cm
Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s.
