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LOT 0135
Life-Size Roman Marble Torso of a Ram
1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
35 in. (long), 16 in. (high) (155 kg, 89 cm (long), 41 cm (high) excluding stand).
The naturalistic rendering of the animal is particularly evident in the modelling of the muscles and shaggy fur, which originally belonged to a multi-figure group intended for prominent display in an official space, such as a public bath, or in the private gardens of a luxurious villa; accompanied by a custom-made display stand.
ProvenanceAcquired in Brussels, circa 1980.
with Christie's, South Kensington, 6 October 2011, no.121.
Jean-David Cahn AG, Basel, Switzerland.
Private collection, England.
Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate, no.S00074876.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13079-249669.
For animal sculptures of the Roman Period, cf. the sculpture of a bear in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Vermeule, C., Neuerburg, N., Catalogue of the Ancient Art in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 1973, 13f, no.24; and two sculptures of dogs, which are similar in style and probably belonged to the same group, cf. Sotheby's Antiquities, London, 31 October 2003, no.66; and Sotheby's Antiquities, New York, 24-25 November 1987, no.155.
FootnotesThe sculpture may represent the goat Amalthea, nurse of Zeus, one of the most famous animals in Graeco-Roman mythology. At the same time, it could simply be a representation of a ram, an animal typically sculpted in sacrificial reliefs of the Roman world.
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 Light Brown Glass Bottle
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £180 - 240 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £90
Mould-blown, comprising a flat-based tubular body and short neck with returned flange rim. 69 grams, 14.4 cm
From an important collection of glass, London, UK, 1990s. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Leaping Lion
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Keeled hoop expanding at the shoulders, raised oval bezel with incuse stylised lion leaping left, star above. 11.25 grams, 25.66 mm overall, 19.35 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M 1/2, USA 6 1/4, Europe 13.09, Japan 12)
Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The shape of the ring belongs to the typologies of the Severian Age. Under Caracalla, the theme of the lion was popular on civilian and soldiers' rings, the lion being the emperor's favourite animal. Stars and lions were, from the age of Caracalla, symbols of the Praetorian Guard. -
Romano-British Bronze Ring with Lozenge
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Comprising an expanding hoop with angled shoulders, the bezel with raised lozenge decorated with incised pellets and an X-motif. 3.42 grams, 21.94 mm overall, 19.03 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)
Found Northants border, UK. Acquired on the UK and EU art market before 2000. From the private collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Rings of these typologies seem to have been manufactured in Britain, and are characterised by decorative mouldings on the hoop. Sometimes the broad elements of the hoop had a decorative setting soldered to it.
