Large Late Roman Mosaic with Inlaid Glass Birds

Square plaque from a baldric or military belt, with an engraved circle in the centre depicting a shepherd resting under a tree with two crossed branches, leaning on his staff with a greyhound beside him. 48.7 grams, 66 mm



From a UK collection since before 1990.

The plaque is related to a series of late Antique bronze plates destined to decorate the military baldrics or belts. Some of them were found in a late Roman tomb in Totanés (Toledo), ornamented with busts, and a plaque from Merida (Badajoz) was decorated with the personification of Rome. The plaque is related to similar ones from Italian and Syrian-Palestinian workshops, whose ornamentation seems sometimes to be connected to imperial authority. Parallels are linked to similar pieces of different iconographic types, but which were equally popular in the late Roman Empire, such as hunting or bucolic motifs.

Modelled in the round in kneeling pose, nude, with the fingers of his left hand spread across his bent knee, head turned to the right and slightly tilted upwards; two large dorsal wings spread; the face fleshy with small eyes and nose, the hair with a wreath of curls framing the face; attachment panel behind the shoulders; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.38 kg total, 19 cm wide



Ex F. Philips, Netherlands, before 1980s. with Jan Roelofs Antiquaries, Netherlands. Acquired on the European art market, 2023. Private collection, London. Accompanied by an academic report by Prof. Neritan Ceka. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12930-245218.

The image of the winged Eros held a special significance in Roman culture, embodying not only the god of love but also the elegance, refinement, and sophistication of the Classical tradition. His wings symbolised the fleeting nature of passion, while his youthful form carried connotations of vitality and beauty. To incorporate Eros into the decoration of luxury objects was to invoke divine favour and to align oneself with the cultivated ideals of the Graeco-Roman world. Bronzes of the 1st century A.D. represent the height of Roman metalworking, when elite households and sanctuaries commissioned works of remarkable artistry. Fittings such as this, finely cast and intended for a prestigious vessel, were both functional and symbolic: practical elements elevated to expressions of status and taste. Surviving examples are a testament to the technical mastery of Roman workshops and the desire of their patrons to surround themselves with imagery of the gods in even the smallest details of daily life.

Hollow-formed, no handle, but the rear bulging tubular part of the basin may have served as such; body in the shape of a comic theater mask with large open mouth; filling-hole on forehead, knit eyebrows with jolly expression and large open mouth functioning as a wick-hole; crown of foliage and fruits; flat raised oval base. 38 grams, 67 mm



From the collection of Mr W.A. Stewart, Director of School of Arts and Crafts, Cairo, 1919-1929. Acquired Christie's, London, Antiquities, Works of Art and Important Renaissance Bronzes, Plaquettes and Limoges Enamels, 8 July 1981, no.126 (part). From a private Wiltshire, UK, collection. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue page.

Lamps with figurines first appeared in the Hellenistic period, possibly originating in Athens, since the 2nd century B.C. Found in all parts of the Mediterranean basin, they were particularly popular during the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. The Silenus face types were linked to the Bacchic cult. The crown of leaves and fruit across the forehead alludes to Bacchus or one of his followers.