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_900x900.jpg "Large Romano-British Bronze Dolphin Mount")
_200x200.jpg "Large Romano-British Bronze Dolphin Mount")
.jpg "Large Romano-British Bronze Dolphin Mount")
LOT 0144
Large Romano-British Bronze Dolphin Mount
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
4 3/4 in. (126 grams, 12.3 cm).
Modelled in the round, with dentilled fin and tail, hollow to the underside, scale detailing.
ProvenanceFound Lincolshire, UK.
LiteratureCf. Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, items 386-387, for similar.
FootnotesThe dolphin was believed to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. This type of bronze figure was probably intended to form a doorknob.
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 Gold Earring Pair
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Matched pair, each a slender hoop with graduated granule cluster. 1.12 grams total, 15.5-16.5 mm
with Archaeologia, Switzerland, before 1983. Ex private North American collection. London private collection, 2016. -
Roman Bronze Lower Section of Adonis-Tammuz Statue
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Modelled in the round as a belted torso and legs with tiered tasselled robes and bare feet. 128 grams, 10 cm
UK art market, 1981. Private collection, London, UK.
Adonis was the offspring of an incestuous union between Smyrna and Cinyras. As an infant, he was given by Venus (Aphrodite) to Persephone for protection, but later became an object of desire for both, resulting in a decision by Zeus that he would spend four months with Persephone, four months with Venus and four months with whomever he wished. According to mythological traditions, Adonis was killed by a wild boar during a hunt - either sent by Artemis, or Ares in disguise. Aphrodite pleaded for Adonis' life with Zeus, who allowed the youth to spend half of each year with her and half in the underworld. -
Roman Bronze Scallop Shell Attachment Pair
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £240
Each composed of shell-shaped body with a D-shaped lug to reverse, the lug with tapering spike to the centre. 343 grams total, 12.5 cm each
Private collection, Rosenheim, Germany, 1960s.
This pair could have been used as a double key or door lock, based on comparison with some keys from the territory of Gaul (Boucher, 1971, pp.200-201). They comprised a strong ring with polygonal-section stem and a rectangular point.
