Roman Bronze Bell Group

Gemstone with intaglio advancing lion on a baseline, set into a possibly later gold oval cell with round-section hoop with granule to each shoulder. 4.65 grams, 21.35 mm overall, 17.25 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)



Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995. with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003. Property of a London based academic, 2003 to present. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12681-233902. 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.

Carved in fine-grained marble, the head depicting a matron of the patrician class with angular features, pronounced cheekbones and a softly wrinkled brow; her lips finely curved and gently closed, the heavy-lidded eyes incised with irises and drilled pupils, lending an expression of composed attentiveness; the hair parted centrally, arranged in thick curls drawn behind the prominent ears, coiled into a low chignon at the nape and continued as a braided tail over the crown, a coiffure closely associated with the mid-3rd century A.D.; attached to an antique bust, some restoration. 49 kg, 76.5 cm high



French private collection, 18th century. with Mercier & Cie, Lille, France, 6 October 2019, no.199. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.217723, dated 27 February 2020. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12674-236274. 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 present work exhibits a distinctive coiffure that gained prominence among aristocratic Roman women during the mid-3rd century A.D., most notably under the empresses Furia Sabinia Tranquillina, consort of Gordian III, and Otacilia Severa, wife of Philippus Arabs. This elaborate arrangement - central parting, voluminous curls, and a braided crown - is a key chronological indicator, allowing the portrait to be securely dated to this period. The head is mounted on an 18th century bust inscribed 'IVLIA MAESA'. While this identification reflects an earlier attribution, current stylistic analysis suggests a slightly later date, aligning the portrait more plausibly with the generation following Julia Maesa’s death in A.D. 224/225.

Modelled in the round as a kouros standing wearing a calf-length robe held at the waist by a thick cord; shoulder-length hair held by a tiered diadem, collar with three pendant roundels, left arm with bracelet, holding a lyre in the left hand, right hand with handle; sandals to the feet; modern mounting pins and square wooden base. 37.4 grams, 61 mm (40.4 grams total, 66 mm including stand)



Ex Paris auction, 1990s. From a French collection, 2000s. 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.