Roman Brilliant Blue Dimpled Glass Jar

Trapezoidal in plan base fragment with figures carved in the round: tree with bands of horizontal ribbing; left foot, ankle and calf of a male wearing open-toed sandal and military-style boot, the upper part decorated with the skin of a lion cub; body of a dog sitting at heel beside the tree. 13.9 kg, base: 30 cm long



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. 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.12578-232182. 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 military boot cothurnus worn here by a hunter or a military commander, was widely used by commanders of the Roman army, and sometimes by actors playing military heroes. Officers wore splendid closed cothurni of various colours, like those realised in blue leather and worn by an officer represented on a fresco from Stabiae (D’Amato-Sumner, 2009, p.13).

Standing nude with a chlamys draped over his left shoulder and fastened on the right shoulder, bearing the weight on his right foot with the left leg bent at the knee with the heel raised; the right arm extended and holding the remains of an attribute, the left arm bent at the elbow; his head turned slightly to the right with long luxurious hair swept back and gathered at the nape of the neck; set on a circular socle base; stripped and repatinated. 700 grams, 19 cm



Acquired at Mythes ét Légendes, 18 Place des Vosges, Paris, 14 May 1980. Private collection, France. Ex Jean Roudillon, Hôtel des Ventes de Belfort SARL, 22 October 2011, no.9. with Christie's, London, 2 April 2014, no.91. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S0007570. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.132675 dated 7 December 2011. 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 a search certificate number no.12360-226681. 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 figurine is of archaic style; it is probably a provincial work of a Gallo-Roman workshop. The prototype can be seen in the Apollo of Naxos in the Berlin Museum. The style of posture and movement can also be seen in the archaic bronzes of Falterona, the Louvre and Athens.

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 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.