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LOT 0703
Roman Bronze Bust of Mars
CIRCA 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
3 in. (82 grams, 75 mm).
Highly detailed bearded head with thick hair locks surmounted by a pseudo-Corinthian helmet with high crest; the breast covered by a scale armour (squama) fitted with shoulder-guards. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of the famous author, writer and speaker, Gordon Bailey, Essex, UK; formed since 1968.
PublishedBailey, G., Detector Finds 6, Witham, 2008, p.95, fig.C16.53.
FootnotesThe pseudo-Corinthian or Apulo-Corinthian helmet, here worn by the divinity, was originally a legionary helmet, which transformed in the late Consular Age into an officer's helmet, to become a typical attribute of the commanders and then of the war god.
CONDITIONTimeLine 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:
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Roman Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £52
Restrung designer necklace string of graduated beads, mainly oblate and cylindrical types. 21.3 grams, 47.5 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
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Roman Bronze Mars Rider Statuette
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Modelled in the round, nude male with legs in straddling pose, left hand thrust forward and right arm raised with hand open; head exaggerated with shoulder-length hair and crested helmet. 35.6 grams, 60 mm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
The pseudo-Corinthian or Apulo-Corinthian helmet, here represented on the head of the divinity, was originally a legionary helmet, then became, in the Late Consular Age, an officer's helmet, then a typical attribute of military commanders and then of the war god, Mars. However, this statuette of Mars has strong Celtic connotations, as evidenced by the torques around the neck and the warrior god's hair. -
Roman Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £72
Restrung group of beads, mainly tubular and annular types with plano-convex centrepiece. 22.05 grams, 38 cm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
