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LOT 0883
Polished Imperial Porphyry Gaming Piece Set
ROMAN, 4TH-6TH CENTURY A.D. OR LATER
1 in. (273 grams total, 25 mm each).
A group of large twelve hand cut and hand polished globular gaming pieces. [12]
ProvenanceAcquired in the 1990s from the Bath Antiques Centre, Somerset, UK.
From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Bronze Oil Lamp
3rd-5th century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
With broad sloping shoulder and concave discus with raised circular ridge, central hole; three radiating suspension loops and stub nozzle with flat rim; base with incuse circular grooves. 106 grams, 67 mm
Ex collection Mr. K.H., Germany, Private collection, acquired in 2012. -
Life-Size Roman Marble Torso of a Ram
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £41,600
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. 155 kg, 89 cm (long), 41 cm (high) excluding stand
Acquired 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.
The 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. -
Roman Bronze Figure of the God Harpocrates
1st century A.D.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Modelled in the round, sitting with miniature double-crown, serpent arm-ring on left wrist, sidelock; fixing socket to right thigh. 145 grams, 72 mm
Private collection, Me. A., Florida, USA, early 1990s. European private collection, acquired in Germany, September 2000. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12683-234609.