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LOT 0654
Large Greek Bronze Fibula
IRON AGE, 8TH-4TH CENTURY B.C.
4 in. (15.7 grams, 10 cm).
Single-piece fibula comprising a curved bow with integral coiled spring to one end developing to a sturdy pin; to the other end, a flared catchplate on a single-coil spring.
ProvenanceEx important German collection of brooches, 1980s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Beck, H. et al., Fibel und Fibeltracht, Berlin, 2000, abb.86, for type.
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 Eastern Mediterranean Gold and Silver Fluted Beads
Bronze Age, 1550-1050 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
Comprising seven fluted beads, each formed from sheet-gold over a silver core. 19.61 grams total, 15 mm each
Private English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Private collection, UK. -
Hellenistic Iridescent Pale Aqua Glass Bowl
Mid 2nd-early 1st century B.C.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Conical in profile, aqua glass with three incised bands below the rim on the inner face. 374 grams, 15.7 cm wide
Dr Jutaro Kawabe, Nagoya, Japan, his collection formed in the 1960s-1970s. with Hoshigaoka Gallery until the late 1990s. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12949-245243.
On ancient glass, iridescence is the soft play of colour that develops as the surface ages and becomes silica-rich. Minute layers form over time and break light into shifting blues, greens and golds. It is not a modern finish but something time has drawn out of the material itself, so the pattern and palette are unique to each piece. Collectors prize good, stable iridescence because it lifts the form: ribs read more crisply, profiles glow, and simple vessels take on depth and movement. Museums now tend to preserve these surfaces rather than polish them away, recognising both their beauty and what they tell us about an object’s long life (though it is not, by itself, a dating test). For display, iridescent glass performs brilliantly under gentle, directional light, where the colours “turn” as the vessel is moved. Well-preserved, even iridescence of this quality is not common and adds materially to the presence—and desirability—of the piece. -
Parthian Bronze Bowl
2nd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Broad and squat with flared sidewall and lipp to the inner edge of the mouth. 250 grams, 16.1 cm
Ex 1990s collection and with a central London gallery.
