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LOT 0111
Roman Bronze Cockerel Collection
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
7/8 - 3 1/4 in. (237 grams total, 22-83 mm).
Each modelled with stylised detailing, including examples formed in the round and free-standing; suspension loop and mounting lug to one. [5]
Provenance‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.
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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LOT 0111
Roman Bronze Cockerel Collection
Estimate £600 - 800€700 - 930 (for guidance only)$810 - 1,080 (for guidance only)
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Roman Silver Cochlear Spoon Inscribed 'May You Live in God'
Circa 4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Composed of a decoratively twisted slender stem with onion knop finial and roughly D-shaped neck formed as the arched neck of a horse, the restored oval bowl bearing a Latin inscription '[V]IVASINDEO' to the interior, the underside gently carinated. 13.5 grams, 13.4 cm
Ex Garcia collection, France, 1990s-2000s.
According to the British Museum, the inscription corresponds to the phrase 'Vivas in deo', meaning 'May you live in God'. This inscription was common in the Roman Empire and especially in Roman Britain after the advent of Christianity. A small Roman silver disc, thought to have been part of a signet ring, dated to 4th-5th century and found near Swaffham, is inscribed 'Antonius, may you live in God (Antoni, vivas in Deo)'. It is highly possible that our spoon, if a liturgical object, was used to administer Holy Communion. -
Roman Gemstone Group
Circa 1st-2nd century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £247
Composed of carnelian and possibly garnet polished stones, each bearing a different intaglio design: a figure holding a staff; figure standing holding a cornucopia and wearing a floor-length robe, possibly Fortuna; short, helmetted figure, possibly Mars; figural scene composed of a central seated female wearing a helmet, possibly the goddess Minerva, two attendants to either side; each accompanied by a museum-quality impression. 2.88 grams total, 9-14 mm
Ex property of a European lady living in London; from her father's family collection formed before 1978. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Sol Invictus
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Composed of a carinated hoop and oval bezel set with a glass intaglio crowned bust facing left. 3.72 grams, 21.78 mm overall, 18.22 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
The portrait could be interpreted as wearing a radiated crown, thus an image of Sol Invictus, common in gems for rings of the 3rd century A.D., where the young face of the Sun-Helios is often visible in profile, looking to the left, with the radiate crown on his head. The cult of Sol Invictus was favoured by the Illyrian emperors and elevated in Rome by Aurelian to one of the premier divinities of the Empire.