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LOT 0665
Roman Bone Dice Pair
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
3/8 in. (3.4 grams total, 10 mm each).
A pair of bone dice with punched ring-and-dot numbering, each composed: 1:6; 2:5; 3:4. [2, No Reserve]
ProvenanceGerman art market, 1990s.
Mr A.H., a North American collector living in the UK.
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Roman Terracotta Jar
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
A bulbous ceramic jar with a short neck and rounded base. 998 grams, 20 cm wide
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Roman Lead Sealing with Bust of an Emperor
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
A round lead seal with male portrait, wearing a military mantle fastened on the right side by a fibula, three Latin letters on the left side, possibly 'I A A'. 2.3 grams, 13 mm
Acquired in the 1970s. Important European collection.
Lead seals were used to seal documents. The sealing shows a facing male head with a bearded face, probably the portrait of a Roman emperor or a high imperial functionary, like a Dux or a Praefectus. The hairstyle is that of the Dominate, or late 3rd century AD. -
Roman Marble Head of a Germanic Warrior
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £30,000 - 40,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £15,000
A carved marble head of a Germanic tribesman, modelled naturalistically in the round, directing his gaze upwards left, the eyes with sculpted pupils originally decorated with stone insertions, his face framed by voluminous short curls swept up off the forehead, sideburns and a moustache. 5.6 kg, 21 cm
Two neck creases, but in general good condition.
Ex Mario Fumasoli (1901-1989) collection, Switzerland, acquired between 1940-1970; thence by descent. with Christie's London, 24th October 2013, lot 92. Private Swiss collection since 1998. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11583-198975.
The head was possibly part of a statue or from a relief representing barbarian prisoners or warriors, maybe a part of a monument commemorating the campaigns of Marcus Aurelius along the lower Danube, recorded in his famous column in Piazza Colonna, Rome.