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LOT 0632
Roman Bone Gaming Dice Pair
CIRCA 1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
3/8 in. (4 grams total, 11 mm each).
Pair of cuboid dice with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4. [2]
ProvenanceEx Cambridgeshire, UK, collection, 1990s.
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 0632
Roman Bone Gaming Dice Pair
Estimate £120 - 170€140 - 200 (for guidance only)$160 - 230 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£60 (EUR 70; USD 81) +BP*
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Roman Iridescent Glass Pinched Beaker
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Flat base and a conical body with an everted rim; rim chipped. 53 grams, 10.3 cm
From the collection of a late Norfolk, UK gentleman's collection, formed from the late 1960s-1970s. -
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Roman Jasper Gemstone with Mithraic Tauroctony in Gold Ring
3rd century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
An oval intaglio depicting Mithras, a snake and a dog killing a bull, six stars on the field; set in a later gold ring; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 9.93 grams, 23.61 mm overall, 18.88 mm internal diameter (approximate size British R 1/2, USA 8 3/4, Europe 19.38, Japan 18)
English private collection. Reportedly acquired several decades ago in Covent Garden, London, still mounted in its original, heavily corroded iron ring; removed from this setting and remounted in a gold ring in recent years by the owner, a commercial airline pilot. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13325-28218.
The interpretation of the Mithraic tauroctony has long been the subject of scholarly debate. The Belgian historian of religions and orientalist Franz Cumont (1868–1947) was the first to propose that the scene should be understood as an astral allegory rather than a purely mythological episode. More recently, David Ulansey developed this hypothesis by interpreting the tauroctony as a symbolic representation of the precession of the equinoxes. In his reading, Mithras—identified with the constellation Perseus—embodies the supreme cosmic power capable of moving the sphere of the fixed stars, while the slaying of the bull symbolises the transition from one cosmic age to another, expressing Mithras' dominion over the celestial order itself. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Glass Gem
Circa 3rd century A.D.Estimate: £40 - 60 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
With slender hoop and amphora-shaped shoulders, supporting a cell set with a clear 'aqua' glass cabochon. 2.00 grams, 21.92 mm overall, 17.81 x 15.28 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 33/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)
From the private collection of Mr Brian Edwards, New Malden, Surrey, UK, formed from the late 1970s-early 1980s; thence by descent. Accompanied by the original collector's data sheet(s) with reference no.A109.
