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LOT 0702
Imperial Porphyry Slab Section with a Black Xenolith
1ST-5TH CENTURY A.D. AND LATER
10 5/8 in. (1 kg, 27 cm).
Comprising irregular part of a polished porphyry block of rectangular shape, polished on three sides, with a black xenolith in the main face; probably from recarved material mined in ancient Roman times between the 1st and 5th century A.D.
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a UK gentleman since the early 1980s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Mons Porphyrites (today Jabal Abu Dukhkhan) is the mountainous site of a group of ancient quarries in the Red Sea Hills of the inhospitable eastern desert in Egypt, a five day trip from the Nile during Roman times. They were discovered by Caius Cominus Leugas in 18 A.D., and during the Roman Empire, the mines officially belonged to the emperor and were the only known source of the Imperial Porphyry, Mons Porphyrites. This dark purple stone was associated with royalty and used for prestigious sculpture and architecture. The location of the mines was lost some time in the 5th century, and rediscovered in the early 19th century. Excavations in the area have revealed the well-preserved quarries and the dwelling places of the quarrymen, and also thousands of ostraca have been discovered containing messages that provide details of how the quarrying took place, and of how the highly skilled quarrymen ordered their food.
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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1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
The goddess of love rising from the sea, standing nude and bearing the weight on her right leg; her head turned to the right and looking down, finely worked facial detailing with marked eyelids and shallow pupils; the bountiful hair tied back in a low chignon with six long ringlets falling on her shoulders, wearing a diadem; a narrow sash wrapped around her back, holding one end pressed against her left breast and the coiled end held in her right hand; standing on a pedestal base. 281 grams total, 16.5 cm high including stand
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12747-236332. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The goddess is depicted in the act of girding her chest with a fascia, similar to the one illustrated in the famous mosaics of Piazza Armerina, where the band is worn together with a subligaculum that covers her lower parts. It is modelled after a real two-piece bath costume of the ancient Romans. -
Romano-British Enamelled Bronze Eagle Brooch
Circa 2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Plate brooch formed as a raptor with champlevé red and green enamelled cells to the body, eye and wing; to the reverse, the pin-lugs, bar and catchplate. 2.6 grams, 29.3 mm
Found near Droxford, Hampshire, UK. From an old Hampshire collection. Recorded with Winchester Museum. Private collection, London. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Child's Gold Funerary Ring
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising a slender sheet-gold hoop. 0.12 grams, 12 mm
Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970-2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
