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LOT 0017
Kushan or Indo-Greek Rock Crystal Gemstone with Mature Man and Animals
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (2.44 grams, 18 mm).
Plano-convex in section with incuse image of an advancing elderly man with a staff facing three beasts: dolphin, elephant and rat; possibly Kushan workmanship; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenancePrivate English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s.
Private collection, London, UK.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0017
Kushan or Indo-Greek Rock Crystal Gemstone with Mature Man and Animals
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
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Roman and Other Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £59
Composed of beads of various types with larger beads as a central feature; restrung. 23.3 grams, 45.2 cm
From London, UK, gallery collection, 1990s. -
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Roman Bronze Hand-Standing Acrobat
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,800
A statuette of an acrobat on a round, drum-shaped base, standing on his hands, body arching slightly and legs together; wearing a loin cloth and cap decorated with floral pattern; eyes inlaid with silver. 162 grams, 12 cm high
Ex property of a Surrey collector; acquired in the early 1970s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13125-249637.
Acrobats in ancient Rome could perform at a number of venues; either in theatres, as 'gap fillers' between gladiatorial contests at the amphitheatre, at private parties or at impromptu street performances and fairs. A convivium was a dinner party with family, friends or associates. It was somewhat like a Greek symposium except that it was generally regarded as a chance to talk business or politics rather than philosophy and weighty matters. A commissatio was a wild drinking party. Prostitutes, jugglers, musicians, acrobats, actors and fire-eaters entertained guests at the banquets of wealthy Romans. From the descriptions given by Roman authors these banquets were lavish affairs with rose petals scattered on the floor, mechanical devices lowering acrobats and entertainers from the ceiling and slaves blew exotic scents into the room. The emperors also had special entertainment barges constructed on some of the ornamental lakes in the parks of Rome where acrobats entertained the guests. -
Roman Iridescent Glass Cosmetic Flask with Spiral Trail
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Bulbous body with long funicular neck and everted rim, applied strap handles to the top, applied spiral decoration to the body. 14.6 grams, 76 mm
Ex London gallery, UK, 1986. Ex private UK collection.
Small cosmetic flasks with tubular bodies, conical feet and trailed decoration were a common product of the Syro-Palestinian workshops in the Eastern Roman Empire, during the 4th-5th century A.D. Many such vessels had elaborate basket-handles, from which they could be suspended.
