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_900x900.jpg "Large Roman Bronze Chariot Fitting with Imago Clipeata of a Priest of Mithras")
_200x200.jpg "Large Roman Bronze Chariot Fitting with Imago Clipeata of a Priest of Mithras")
.jpg "Large Roman Bronze Chariot Fitting with Imago Clipeata of a Priest of Mithras")
LOT 0190
Large Roman Bronze Chariot Fitting with Imago Clipeata of a Priest of Mithras
LATE 3RD-EARLY 4TH CENTURY A.D.
9 5/8 in. (1.8 kg total, 24.5 cm including stand).
Representing a facing bust of a mature man with his head turned slightly to the right; short hair and a full, neatly trimmed beard, furrowed brow and strong eyebrows, deep-set eyes with heavy eyelids, eyes marked with pupils; dressed in a short-sleeved tunic draped around the neck and wearing a conical cap, holding an egg in his left hand; pierced through the surrounding roundel; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceJ.J. Klejman, New York, 1963.
with Gallery Six, New York, 1991.
with Christie's, New York, 11 December 2014, no.156 ($50,000-$70,000).
Private collection, London.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12361-226874.
Cf. Donati, A., Gentili, G., Costantino Il Grande, la civilta' Antica al bivio fra Occidente ed Oriente, Milano, 2005, pp.14-15, 286, nos.125-126; Demandt, A., Engemann, J., Imperator Caesar Flavius Constantinus - Konstantin der Grosse, Mainz, 2007, p.61 no.7; cat. I.8.10.
FootnotesIn the Mithraic cult the egg is a symbol of eternal time, and associated with the birth of god Mithras. The cult of Mithras, the god of the legions, whose symbol was the Sol Invictus, was popular during the 3rd century and in Tetrarchic Age. The chariot which this fitting adorned possibly wouldn't have been used in war, but in triumphal and religious processions, or simply for transport of priests.
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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LOT 0190
Large Roman Bronze Chariot Fitting with Imago Clipeata of a Priest of Mithras
Estimate £25,000 - 35,000€29,000 - 40,600 (for guidance only)$33,750 - 47,250 (for guidance only)
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Roman Glass Lion's Head Mount Fragment
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
A round appliqué with a fierce male lion with its jaws gaping, voluminous mane falling around the head. 22.8 grams, 35 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Life-Size Roman Bronze Club from a Statue of Hercules
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £16,900
Hollow-formed life-size club with tubular handle and flared rim, shank with series of regularly-placed knop projections on piriform pads, domed end; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 4.73 kg total, club: 55 cm
Formerly in North American collection, 1990s. From an Austrian collection, acquired in London from UK collector in early 2000s. From a London gentleman's collection, 2000s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12345-225411.
Like the famous statue of Hercules in gilded bronze (the so called Hercules from the Forum Boarium), today at the Capitoline Museums (Palazzo dei Conservatori), this club would have come from a temple dedicated to the Greek hero. The Mastai Hercules, at the Vatican Museum, shows a similar club. The presence of a large handle in our piece confirms that the club was held with the right hand in resting position, and that the typology of Hercules was probably one of the two models. -
Roman Iron Fishing Hook
2nd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
With barbed tip and a discoid attachment panel. 6.98 grams, 66 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman.
