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LOT 0737
Roman Auriga in Quadriga Redware Sherd
4TH CENTURY A.D.
3 1/2 in. (74 grams, 90 mm).
A redware ceramic fragment with moulded low-relief decoration of a victorious Auriga (chariot-driver) standing in his chariot with four rearing horses yoked to it; geometric detail to his tunic, a frond in his bent left arm and a whip in his raised right hand; incised bilinear lettering '-TA' to the left and 'PV- / TO[V?]-' to the right in Greek letters; modern mounting loop to the reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired 1960s-1990s.
From the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
See Mordtmann, A., 'Das Denkmal des Porphyrius', in Mittheilungen des deutschen archäologischen Institutes, in Athen, vol. V, Athens, 1880, pp.295-308, for a detailed representation of the costume of the Auriga and the position of the victorious chariot driver; Vasiliev, A.A., 'The monument of Porphyrius in the hippodrome at Constantinople' in Dumbarton Oaks Papers Vol. 4, (1948), pp.27-49; for the style of pottery cf. Banck, A., Byzantine Art in the collections of the USSR, Leningrad-Moscow, 1966, fig.23, for a very similar pottery style.
FootnotesThe pottery fragment shows an image of a charioteer in the moment of victory, with his left hand carrying a palm branch. The iconography is visible in the monument of Porphyrios in Constantinople and the charioteers of the Baccano mosaics. The detailed representation of the Auriga shows the attributes of his work: he wears a close-fitting undershirt with sleeves (γυμναστικiον) and an ornamented sleeveless tunic over it, leaving the knees exposed as is typical for charioteers (αυριγαριον).
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Roman Statuette of the Goddess Fortuna
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
A bronze statuette of the goddess Fortuna, modelled in the round standing on a circular plinth base, her feet emerging from beneath her floor length robes, her hair held in a chignon at the back of the head and crowned with a diadem. 205 grams total, 13 cm high including stand
Acquired London art market in early 1960s. From the private collection of the late Walter Steinberg, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11633-199467.
The cult of Fortuna was associated with the round of the agricultural year, the wheel of time and the changing fortunes of the individual, both bad and good. The Rota Fortunae (wheel of fortune) is a symbol of the changeable nature of one's luck and was already a recognised idiom by the time of Cicero, writing in the 1st century B.C. -
Roman Asclepius Gemstone in Gold Ring
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
A carnelian intaglio of Asclepius in a loosely draped himation with serpent coiled around his forearm, probably Asclepius the Greek god of healing; set into a later gold ring. 4.99 grams, 23.32 mm overall, 16.68 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L 1/2, USA 6, Europe 11.87, Japan 11)
Ex private East Coast, USA, collection. with Artemis Gallery, Colorado, USA, 21 February 2017. English private collection. Accompanied by a copy of a certificate of authenticity from Artemis Gallery, dated 21 February 2017.
Asclepius was the Graeco-Roman god of medicine, healing, prophecy and a son of Apollo and Coronis. He had two daughters with Epione, the goddess of soothing- Hygeia (goddess of health) and Panacea (goddess of healing). As a child, Asclepius was given to the centaur Chiron, who raised him in the ways of the healing arts. During his training, Asclepius healed a snake, which in turn granted him secret knowledge. Asclepius became such a proficient healer that he discovered a way to resurrect the dead, for which Zeus had him killed, in order to maintain the balance of life on Earth, placing him on the night sky under the constellation of the Ophiuchus (the snake holder). -
Roman Gold Ring with Fish Gemstone
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
A slender gold finger ring with loops and granule to each shoulder, beaded wire rim to the cell, inset agate cloison with intaglio fish. 2.38 grams, 24.55 mm overall, 23.14 mm internal diameter (approximate size British W, USA 11, Europe 25, Japan 24)
English private collection.
