Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0119

Roman Bronze Antinous Balsamarium

2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.

4 in. (300 grams, 10 cm).

Comprising the bust of Antinous or Bacchus (Greek Dionysus); the head modelled in the round, hair with voluminous waves, semi-naturalistic facial features, muscular neck and chest, two loops at the sides for the handle, silver inlaid eyes restored with black glass pupils.

Provenance

Acquired on the German art market before 2000.
From an EU collection before 2020.

Literature

Cf. Facsády A., ‘Antropomorf Bronz "Balsamarium" Aquincumból (An antropomorphic Balsamarium from Aquincum’)’ in Archaeologiai Értesítő, 139 (2014), pp.157–169, fig.1 or 4, for the type.

Footnotes

The balsamarium (ointment or balsam container), is a modern term reflecting the Roman use of relatively small vessels as containers for aromatic oils, or storing and dispensing cosmetic liquids and/or scented powdered substances. These vessels were produced in the first three centuries of the Roman Empire in a variety of forms, including busts and animal shapes. The present balsamarium testifies to the power of imperial imagery and its dissemination across the empire, as the vessel portrays Antinous, Emperor Hadrian's ‘favourite’, whose untimely death in a boating accident led to his deification. The general facial characteristics of our figure are consistent with the stylistic portrait features of late antiquity and the personal features of Antinous, here appearing with large almond-shaped eyes, set into slightly upturned, incised pupils.

CONDITION

VETTING:

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.

LOT 0119

Roman Bronze Antinous Balsamarium

Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,405

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Roman Marble Fragment of Venus Rising from the Water
    Roman Marble Fragment of Venus Rising from the Water
    Circa 1st century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,665

    Statue fragment comprising the hips, buttocks and draped stola with a scallop-shell at the waist. 11.5 kg, 28.5 cm



    Ex Paris collection. French gallery, Paris, 1990-2000s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11956-20935.

    Lot Details

  • Roman Lead Coffin Lid with Ivy and Floral Motifs
    Roman Lead Coffin Lid with Ivy and Floral Motifs
    2nd-3rd century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,210

    Decorated with stamped patterns comprising dolphins, vegetal and floral patterns, motifs with ivy leaves and floral border strips with laurel leaves. 38.5 kg, 175.5 cm



    Acquired 1970s-early 1990s. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11992-209844.

    Although the majority of people were buried without coffins, there is evidence for wooden coffins, lead-framed wooden coffins, tile burials, lead coffins and stone coffins from the Roman Empire. Our typology belongs a type diffused in the Eastern Mediterranean. The leaves refer to actual garlands and flowers used to decorate tombs and altars. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife and was a common motif in this period, also used for the slide-fitting of Roman sword scabbards. Romans believed these animals carried souls to the Fortunate Isles, perhaps because they could pass through the air-breathing terrestrial world and into the watery depths that claimed so many Roman sailors’ lives. This symbol would have had a personal significance for the deceased, who may have been a seafarer during life. Romans often ordered their lead coffins long before they died as the process of making them took a long time.

    Lot Details

  • Roman Glass Amphoriskos
    Roman Glass Amphoriskos
    1st century A.D.

    Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £200

    Comprising a Sidonian mould-blown glass vessel with ovoid body, cylindrical neck, everted rim and twin applied handles; decorated with a medial band of swirl motifs between fluting; iridescent surfaces; rim chipped. 17.6 grams, 73 mm



    French collection, 1990s-early 2000s. Acquired at a Paris auction. From an important Paris gallery, France. Ex private Parisian collection.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list