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LOT 0629
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
14 3/4 in. (521 grams, 37.5 cm).
Featuring an elaborate monogram composed of Greek letters M and O, supported by decoratively twisted prongs; tapering cylindrical socket.
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.
See Baratta, G., 'Roman Signacula / Una particolare categoria di signacula: marchi per legno, pellame ed animali', in Mayer M., Olive, G., Baratta, G., Guzman Almagro, A.(ed.), XII Congressus Internationalis Epigraphiae Grecae et Latinae, Barcelona, 2007, pp.99-108, figs.3,7, for similar stamps.
FootnotesBranding stamps or signacula, in particular those with large single letters, were used for marking livestock to identify the ownership, the breed, the quality and other features of the animal. The signacula were usually made in bronze, but iron examples are also preserved.
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 0629
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
Estimate £80 - 100€93 - 116 (for guidance only)$108 - 135 (for guidance only)
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Larger Than Life-Size Roman Bronze Satyr's Ear
1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Probably from a colossal statue of Silenus or a satyr, detailed and naturalistic rendering of a left ear, conical shape with accurate depiction of the internal hair. 767 grams, 18.5 cm
Acquired in Europe before 1995. Private collection, Europe.
In the mythology of ancient Greece and in the Graeco-Roman literary world, satyrs were a community of beings who lived mostly in woods, surrounded by nature, and often together with nymphs. In the most ancient period they were imagined by the Greeks like Sileni, in human form, but with the ears, tail and sometimes hooves of horses. Seilenoi were depicted as fat, elderly, white-haired men, with snub noses, balding heads, and the ears and tails of asses. They were sometimes covered in fluffy white hair and occasionally sported a pair of ox horns. -
Roman Bronze Artefact Collection
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Mainly comprising fragmentary artefacts including brooches; rings; mounts and other miscellaneous items, including items displaying enamelled and other decorative techniques. 232 grams total, 13-48 mm
Found Berkshire, UK. -
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Roman Terracotta Lion Rhyton
Late 2nd-early 3rd century A.D.Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £3,000
Modelled naturalistically in the round in an advancing pose with face, muzzle and tooth detailing within the open mouth, the tufts of the animal's mature mane individually rendered; filling hole on the back; the mouth open acting as a spout; North African workmanship; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.5 kg total, 20.5 cm high including stand
with Sotheby’s London, 9 December 1994, lot 221. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. Accompanied by copies of relevant Sotheby's catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11797-206532.
The lion was famously featured in many ancient myths, perhaps the most famous being that of Hercules (Herakles) slaying the Nemean lion for his first labour, but it was also linked with the cult of the goddess Cybele, where it is usually represented sculptured in relief on either side of her throne.
