Loading, please wait...
LOT 0734
Roman Britain Bronze Phallic Pendant
SUFFOLK, 1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
1 7/8 in. (18 grams, 49 mm).
Elongated round-section body with a suspension loop at the rear. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound Suffolk, UK.
Acquired on the UK art market from the 1990s.
From the private collection of a Lincolnshire, UK, gentleman.
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Roman Gemstone Collection
1st-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £350 - 450 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £189
Including profile bust, advancing lion, two fish and other types; each supplied with a museum-quality impression. 2.9 grams total, 9-13 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
One of the rings, representing a seahorse with a trident swimming beside a dolphin, could be connected with the Legio X Fretensis, whose symbol was Neptune and the dolphin, adopted after the battle of Actium. -
Roman Bronze Cosmetic Applicator
1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Comprising a round-section handle with an ovoid applicator and a balustered finial. 4.28 grams, 11.3 cm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Figure of a Slave with Fruit Basket
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Hollow-formed figure of a servant with grotesque facial features, pointed cap and a short tunic, carrying a pouch in the right hand and shoulders an overflowing fruit basket on the left; a large recess between his legs may be for the insertion of an oversized model phallus; pierced lug to rear of neck for suspension. 286 grams, 17.5 cm
Acquired from Galerie Puhze, Freiburg, between 2002 and 2010. From the collection of R. L., Lower Saxony. Ex Gorny & Mosch, auction 300, Munich, no.75. Accompanied by a certificate from Galerie Günter Puhze and a German export licence.
Grotesque and exaggerated figurines were produced in late Hellenistic times, especially in Alexandria. The artisans, fascinated with realism, started to reproduce scenes and figures from daily life, and seemed to have a preference for emphasis on ill and deformed persons. The characters with caricature features are usually referred to as grotesques.
