Loading, please wait...
Details
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.
Provenance
Acquired on the UK art market since the 1990s.
From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman.
Footnotes
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.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Bronze Duck's Head Terminal
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Modelled in the round with feather detailing and striations on the beak. 65.3 grams, 63 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Dark Green Gemstone with Erotic Scene
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
With intaglio nude figures, a herm of Priapus with an erect phallus adorned by a female worshipper with a wreath; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.52 grams, 13.13 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Iron-Shafted Bronze Stylus with Eraser
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Comprising a rectangular-section point with a balustered bronze finial with an eraser. 10.39 grams, 13.5 cm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
