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LOT 0963
Late Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Nine-Petalled Flower
5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/4 in. (158 grams, 13.4 cm).
Comprising a shallow discus with a wreath on the shoulder, a central nine-petalled flower surrounding the filler hole, a long nozzle with raised sides, a lug handle to the rear, and a raised basal ring. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceBy descent to the son of a late Hertfordshire gentleman collector, whose collection was formed from the 1960s.
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 0963
Late Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Nine-Petalled Flower
Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
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Very Large Eastern Roman Blue Glass Bottle with Iridescence
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
Piriform in profile with a narrow neck and flared mouth with a chamfered rim, dimple base. 949 grams, 29.1 cm
From the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès private collection. with Artcurial, Paris, 25 March 2014, no.39. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12959-245241.
On ancient glass, iridescence is the soft play of colour that develops as the surface ages and becomes silica-rich. Minute layers form over time and break light into shifting blues, greens and golds. It is not a modern finish but something time has drawn out of the material itself, so the pattern and palette are unique to each piece. Collectors prize good, stable iridescence because it lifts the form: ribs read more crisply, profiles glow, and simple vessels take on depth and movement. Museums now tend to preserve these surfaces rather than polish them away, recognising both their beauty and what they tell us about an object’s long life (though it is not, by itself, a dating test). For display, iridescent glass performs brilliantly under gentle, directional light, where the colours “turn” as the vessel is moved. Well-preserved, even iridescence of this quality is not common and adds materially to the presence and desirability of the piece. -
Roman Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £85
Composed of gently graduating mixed beads with larger beads as a central feature, restrung. 6.55 grams, 37.5 cm
Acquired in the 1990s. Ex London, UK, collection. -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Herm
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Ellipsoid type with incuse design to the underside of herm on a pedestal with frond. 0.47 grams, 11 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
