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LOT 1293
Roman Banded Agate Gemstone with Engraved Bull
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
1/2 in. (0.64 grams, 14 mm).
Ellipsoid with carved standing bull in profile; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
Provenancewith Gorny & Mosch, Munich, Auction 145, 14 December 2005, no.205.
LiteratureCf. Dalton, O.M., Catalogue of the Engraved Gems of the Post-Classical Periods in the Department of British and Mediaeval Antiquities and Ethnography in the British Museum, London, 1915, no.122.
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 1293
Roman Banded Agate Gemstone with Engraved Bull
Estimate £400 - 600€460 - 700 (for guidance only)$540 - 810 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£180 (EUR 209; USD 243) ‡+BP*
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Roman Gnostic Haematite Gemstone with Greek Inscription
Circa 3rd century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Ellipsoid in plan with enigmatic legend within a linear border: 'IAA NOK / TEΠIAXMHΛ / INEYCEΞOPKIZ / WCENATATOYA / TIOYOAIIWH'. 1.48 grams, 21 mm
Property of a London, UK, gentleman, 1970-2000. -
Roman Bronze Statuette of Dioskouros
Circa 2nd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £125
Modelled in the round as a young nude male with engraved details to the body, wearing pileus hat; feet absent. 31.3 grams, 59 mm
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s. From an East Anglian private collection. -
Roman Marble Figure of Asclepius, The God of Medicine
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £20,000 - 30,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £10,000
Depicted in a contrapposto stance, detailed torso with well-defined musculature, indicative of the idealised human form, carefully rendered drapery cascading over the figure's left shoulder and wrapping around his lower body, the folds of the garment deeply carved; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 33 kg total, 71 kg including stand
Ex Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris and Geneva, thence by descent. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by a printed copy of the Spanish cultural export licence no.1775-3178156. Accompanied by a copy of a French passport, no.134277. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13459-260915.
Asclepius, the god of medicine, is a pivotal figure in Greek mythology and was later adopted by the Romans. According to myth, Asclepius was the son of Apollo and the mortal Coronis. Trained by the centaur Chiron, he became a skilled healer, so proficient that he could even bring the dead back to life. His abilities eventually led to his demise at the hands of Zeus, who struck him down with a thunderbolt to maintain the balance between mortals and gods. The Pio-Clementino Museum houses a marble statue of Asclepius in the Octagonal Courtyard. This statue, similar in pose and drapery, provides an excellent comparative study. The National Museum in Athens (Room 28) displays a marble statue of Asclepius, highlighting his characteristic bearded face and draped garments. The British Museum's Greek and Roman Antiquities collection includes a statue of Asclepius (Room 69), illustrating the common attributes and stylistic elements. The Louvre Museum, Paris, in the Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, contains a marble statue of Asclepius in Room 17, showcasing the classical drapery and posture similar to the piece in question.
