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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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Late Roman Bronze Military Bracelet with Snake-Heads
4th-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
D-section penannular body with linear and pellet decoration, tapering snake-head terminals with scale detailing. 14.7 grams, 60 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Bronze Hanging Cooking Vessel with Chain
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £975
Hemispherical bowl with basal ring, three pierced lugs to the rim, three short lengths of chain each with a flat-section bar and suspension hook. 713 grams, 35.5 cm
Ex Audrey Davies, 1960s-1970s. Acquired by the current owner from the above. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
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Roman Bronze Statue of Venus Anadyomene
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
Venus (Greek Aphrodite), the goddess of love, rising from the sea, standing nude and bearing the weight on her left leg; her head turned to the right with slightly downcast eyes and finely worked facial detailing; the bountiful hair arranged on top of her head with two long ringlets falling on her shoulders and her left hand holding the end of one ringlet; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 311 grams total, 14 cm including stand
Swiss private collection, 1970. Private collection, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12684-236369. 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.
Like many other nude Venus types, the Anadyomene type was not supposed to conceal the body, but to show her naked and unashamed, arms raised, touching her tresses and exposing the goddess to the viewer. The image of a nude female emerging from the sea with wet tresses was inspired by the stories of the ancient Greek courtesan Phryne swimming nude in the sea during festivals.
