Roman Bone and Other Artefact Collection

Conical flask with broad flat shoulder and tubular neck with rolled rim, two applied trail collars, strap handle, narrow foot; applied ribbed strap handle; mounted on a custom-made stand. 23.8 grams, 84 mm (64 grams total, 10 cm including stand)



From an important glass collection, London, UK, 1980-1990. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12511-231897. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Well preserved rectangular tablet inscribed in Roman cursive script, on the outer face the beginnings of a contract and the signatures of witnesses, the inner side with a recessed panel inscribed with fourteen lines of Roman cursive script, on the outer face right of the sulcus the signatures of five witnesses, to the left the beginning of the contract: 'the pactum et conventum was made between Maianus, son of Dontiquus, and a person called Silvanus; Maianus was born shortly before A.D. 281 and reached an advanced age as he is still attested after AD 360'; the text consists inter alia of typical Roman legal formula like stipulatus est … – spopondidit … - testati sunt …, including the note: Actum Titiiuni, which may be understood as ‘negotiated and agreed at Titiiuni’. 64 grams, 18.2 cm



Acquired by Albert Sfez in the early 1950s. Formerly the property of Monsieur Alain Sfez, a Belgian collector; acquired by gift from his father Albert Sfez, in 1965. Acquired by a London dealer in 1973. From an important London collection since 1975; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12525-230804. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The bowl with a wide flat bottom and convex sides; the inside with incised concentric circles; flat handle with raised edges and hooked finial for suspension. 483 grams, 39.5 cm



German private collection, Mr O., collecting in the 1950s-1960s; thence by descent. with Bonhams, London, 7 July 2016, lot 191 (£3,000-5,000). Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams printed catalogue pages (full page). This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11735-201189. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

This vessel was part of Roman and provincial bronze instrumentum domesticum, i.e. culinary or domestic utility ware. Such cooking vessels are rare: some are found in central and northern Italy, in Pannonia, Germany and in Britain. The Aylesford Pan, today in the British Museum (inventory no.1886.1112.1), is one of the most important finds. This specimen (Eggers type 130), probably pre-Caesarian or Caesarian, was found in a grave together with a Celtic bucket and a jug.