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LOT 0885
Roman Bronze Duck-Headed Ladle
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
10 1/2 in. (208 grams, 26.5 cm).
With broad bowl and inturned rim, D-section handle, with one remaining hooked duck-head finial.
ProvenancePrivate collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, 1990s, thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Tassinari, S., La Vaisselle de Bronze, Romaine et Provinciale, au Musée des Antiquités Nationales, XXIXe supplément de Gallia, Paris, 1975, items 40-3.
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 Sheet Gold Phalera Cover Pair with Pelta Shields
4th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Comprising two discoid ornamental appliqués with beaded rims, each with repoussé pelta-shaped panel terminating in opposed bird-heads, surmounted by scrolled tendrils and a kantharos enclosed in a laurel crown. 7.28 grams total, 64-65 mm
Acquired in the early 1990s. From the collection of a London antiquarian. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The subject represented on these two bracteae is a military shield in the form of a crescent, the so-called pelta, associated in the Late Roman iconography with the Amazon female warriors. This was not necessarily only an iconographic motif, considering that many shields of this typology were represented on the pedestal of the Column of Arcadius in Constantinople (circa 400 A.D.) and they seemed to be associated with the heavy cavalry of the Imperial guard (D’Amato-Negin, 2017, p.252). This could suggest that these gold sheets were applied upon phalerae or military decorations. -
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Roman Bronze Hand-Shaped Military Standard Finial
1st-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,222
Hollow-formed with fine detailing to the fingers and nails; with fixing points for a military standard (signum) used by each unit under a centurion, originally fixed with the palm facing forwards inside a wreath. 718 grams, 21 cm
Generally intact and good defined, except for the lower part.
Acquired in Europe before 2000. European private collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12003-211851.
Roman military signa decorated by phalerae and surmounted by a right hand were used from the Late Consular Age. The hand (manus) symbolised the fides, i.e. the allegiance between the soldiers and the Res Publica. It is also possible that the hand belonged to a statue in which it was extended as a sign of silence, to allow the speaker to speak. However, the iconography of military hands, and also the resemblance with a bronze hand (military signum) preserved in the Vindonissa museum (Windisch), support the possibility that the object was part of a military standard. -
Roman Translucent Glass Jar with Gallery
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
Globular in profile with wide double-stepped rolled rim, applied wavy line trails forming a gallery from rim to body, pinched diagonal ribs to outer face and dimple to the underside; supplied with a custom-made stand. 46 grams, 74 mm wide (125 grams, 85 mm high including stand)
From the glass collection of a London gentleman, UK, 1990s.
