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LOT 0998
Roman Bronze Double Axe Plate Brooch
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
1 1/4 in. (10.1 grams, 33 mm).
Plate brooch with raised vertical shaft and lateral crescent blades, each with an incised ring-and-dot motif; pin-lugs and partial pin on the reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the mid 1980s.
LiteratureCf. Heeren, S. & van der Feijst, L., Fibulae uit de Lage Landen. Beschrijving, Analyse en Interpretatie van een Archeologische Vondstcategorie, Amersfoort, 2017, item NL-0434-16a-442, 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 Bronze Phallic Pendant
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Curving phallus with lateral testes and a large suspension loop above. 7.45 grams, 33 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Iridescent Glass Balsamarium
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Slender tapering body with a rounded base and a trumpet-shaped mouth with a rolled rim. 20.87 grams, 12.7 cm
Acquired in the 1990s from London dealerships and auction houses. From the Lonson collection. -
Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
3rd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
A mixed group of ceramic bullae, tesserae or theatre tokens bearing low-relief motifs, mainly consisting of profile busts of deities. 35.5 grams total, 16-21 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The term 'tessera' was used in Roman times to convey the Greek term σύμβολον (token). Small tiles are known as tokens, often shaped like coins, made of metal (copper, lead, iron), clay, bone, wood, or glass, stamped as well as engraved. The tokens, however, are not exclusively coin-shaped, as the Latin term 'tessera' refers to a four-sided shape. Tokens and tesserae seem to have been used both in Athens and Rome for the distribution of goods. According to written sources, the term ‘token’ is identified with credentials of the official authorities. They have also been interpreted as tokens of identity, as entrance tickets to theatre performances, tribunals or assemblies of citizens, archival material of seal engraving, as pawns in games, Charon’s obols and even as amulets.
