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LOT 0162
Large Mounted Roman Linen Tunic
CIRCA 4TH-5TH CENTURY A.D.
64 1/2 in. (7.7 kg total, mount: 1.64 m).
Comprising half of the upper part of a tunica manicata in light fabric, S-twist tapestry, ornamented with dark purple clavi with orbiculi and tablia, wool over linen; mounted in fabric backing and perspex display frame.
ProvenanceAcquired 1970s-1996.
Property of a North American collector.
London collection, 2016.
Cf. D’Amato, R., Roman Military Clothing (3), AD 400-600, Oxford, 2005, p.8, for similar (Berlin Museum, inv.8881).
FootnotesThe tunic is decorated in purple with opus phrygium embroidery. The archaeological evidence from the dry desert cemeteries of Egypt offers striking confirmation of pictorial sources about late Roman clothing around the empire.
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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Roman Bronze Lock Fitting with Face
4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Domed fitting formed as a stylised face with large lentoid eyes, pelletted browband and three lugs on the triangular lower panel. 15.2 grams, 36 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Roman Silver Ring with Clasped Hands Gemstone
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Rectangular-section hoop with angled shoulders, round bezel set with a carnelian intaglio bearing a stylised clasped hands motif. 4.48 grams, 23.36 mm overall, 19.95 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P 1/2, USA 7 3/4, Europe 16.86, Japan 16)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Large Roman Cut Glass Beaker
4th-5th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
A beaker or lamp with thick conical body and pontil base, five horizontal grooves cut around the body; traces of iridescence. 289 grams, 18.5 cm
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 a search certificate number no.12830-241334.
Conical vessels of this form were either used as a lamp or a beaker; notably during the late imperial period in the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire and in the early Migration period. Deep cuts on this piece suggest it was used with suspension chains or ropes, making it highly likely that this example was used as a lamp.
