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LOT 0173
Roman Bronze Basket-Vase
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
11 in. (1.68 kg, 28 cm).
Ellipsoid in plan with low basal ring and thick convex rim, carination to the forward end; hinges to each lateral rim, the knuckles formed as addorsed duck-heads each with scrolled panel to the rear retaining the pivot of the ribbed D-shaped handles.
ProvenanceAcquired in Switzerland, 1996.
Private collection, Europe.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate dated 30th April 2004.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12363-226688.
Cf. a similar model from the House of Menander in Pompei is preserved in the Pompei Archaeological Museum; see Tassinari, S., La Vaisselle de bronze, Romaine et provincial, au muse des Antiquités Nationales, Paris, 1975, no.104, for examples of Roman trays.
FootnotesThis vessel (lanx) was part of Roman and provincial bronze instrumentum domesticum, i.e. culinary or domestic utility ware. The form of the bowl resembles a type of helmet with carination to the front, the handles placed as hinged cheek-protectors.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0173
Roman Bronze Basket-Vase
Estimate £15,000 - 20,000€17,400 - 23,200 (for guidance only)$20,250 - 27,000 (for guidance only)
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Roman and Later Hardstone Gemstone Collection
1st century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
Including intaglio profile bust and figural groups; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 9.12 grams total, 13-18 mm
Private collection, England. -
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Roman Marble Head of Eros, the Greek God of Love
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,000
Carved in the half-round with undercuts to the curly hair, fleshy facial features; attachment ring to reverse. 2.02 kg, 17.5 cm
Acquired on the French art market, 13 November 2022. Private collection, England. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13086-249672.
The finely sculpted head represents a young child, probably intended as Eros (Cupid). Such depictions were produced in numerous variations to illustrate the stages of childhood and the capacity of children to undertake meaningful or symbolic actions. The softly modelled features and gentle expression recall the celebrated work of Boethos', The Boy Strangling the Goose, as well as the widespread images of Eros and the Erotes found throughout Graeco-Roman sculpture and painting. In Graeco-Roman art, representations of children occupied an important and evolving role. Initially, youthful figures were portrayed as miniature adults, but from the 4th century BC onwards - particularly during the Hellenistic and Roman periods - artists began to study children’s anatomy more closely, reproducing their characteristic proportions and expressions with naturalistic sensitivity. The figure of Eros, the constant companion of Aphrodite, became the quintessential model of the child in ancient art, identifiable by his traditional attributes of wings and bow. As evidenced by numerous statuettes and wall paintings unearthed at Pompeii, scenes of childhood were among the most popular subjects for adorning the gardens and interiors of wealthy Roman villas. These figures appear in lively and varied activities - playing, working, performing, or interacting with animals such as birds, hares, and dolphins - celebrating both the charm and vitality of early life within an idealised artistic vision. -
Roman Bronze Crossbow Brooch
4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Tear-shaped knop above facetted crossbar with knop finials, decorated footplate; catchplate to reverse, hinged iron pin behind the crossbar. 30.2 grams, 73 mm
Ex property of an Essex, UK, gentleman collector. From the private collection of a Colchester, UK, gentleman.
