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LOT 0666
Roman Bronze Crossbow Brooch
4TH CENTURY A.D.
3 in. (47.5 grams, 78 mm).
With onion-knop finials, gusset to the bow, chamfered sections to the foot, hinged pin to the reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Beck, H. et al., Fibel und Fibeltracht, Berlin, 2000, fig.119(7), for type.
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 Aubergine Glass Flask
3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Current Winning Bid: £125
Core-formed with a slightly dimpled base, deep shoulder and short neck, mouth with a flared rim and applied trail to give a stepped appearance. 43 grams, 99 mm
From a specialist collection of glass, acquired from dealerships during the 1990s. -
Historic Roman Cut and Polished Roman Imperial Purple Porphyry Section
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Comprising a triangular piece, cut and polished on several sides, probably recycled material mined in ancient Roman times between the 1st and 5th centuries A.D.; mounted on a custom-made metal display stand. 5.97 kg total, 38 cm including stand
Acquired on the UK art market since the 1990s. From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman.
Mons Porphyrites (today Jabal Abu Dukhkhan) is the mountainous site of a group of ancient quarries in the Red Sea Hills of the inhospitable eastern desert in Egypt, a five-day trip from the Nile during Roman times. They were discovered by Caius Cominus Leugas in 18 A.D., and during the Roman Empire, the mines officially belonged to the emperor and were the only known source of the Imperial Porphyry, Mons Porphyrites. This dark purple stone was associated with royalty and used for prestigious sculpture and architecture. The location of the mines was lost sometime in the 5th century and rediscovered in the early 19th century. Excavations in the area have revealed the well-preserved quarries and the dwelling places of the quarrymen, and also thousands of ostraca have been discovered containing messages that provide details of how the quarrying took place, and of how the highly skilled quarrymen ordered their food. -
Roman Clear Glass Jar with Iridescence
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Squat in profile with trumpet-shaped neck and mouth, collar below the rim, dimple base; some iridescence. 29.6 grams, 85 mm
Private collection, 1990s-early 2000s.
