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LOT 0179
Roman Bronze Eagle on Bull's Head
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
2 3/4 in. (129 grams, 70 mm).
Modelled in the round figure of a bull's head (bucranium) with an eagle with folded wings perched on the horns; hollow to the underside.
ProvenanceAcquired by a Swiss family in the mid-1980s to late 1990s, thence by descent.
Private collection, Switzerland, since the late 1990s.
Cf. Speidel, M.P., 'Eagle-bearer and trumpeter' in Bonner Jahrbucher, 176, 1976, pp.123-163.
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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Late Roman Redware Plate Centre with Chi Rho
4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Circular base with impressed Chi Rho motif at the centre; modern suspension loop attached to the back. 42.6 grams, 10 cm
Ex Alison Barker collection, London, UK (with her attachment). -
Roman Light Green Glass Lamp
Circa 4th century A.D.Estimate: £250 - 350 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £139
Tapering body with pontil base, slightly everted rim; traces of iridescence. 41 grams, 80 mm
From an important collection of glass, London, UK, 1990s. -
Large Roman 'The Sangiorgi' Pale Green Glass Cinerary Urn
3rd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £3,333
Of piriform shape with everted rim, gently chamfered upper lip and concave underside; lid with bevelled rim, gently dished upper face rising to a central dome and cylindrical handle with piecrust pleats; iridescent surfaces. 823 grams total, 29.5 cm high
Ex Sangiorgi collection, acquired in the 19th century. with Christie's, 3 June 1999, no.121. The remains of a 19th-early 20th-century label can be seen on the glass on one side. with Christie's, New York, 9 December 1999, no.476. American private collection, Westchester, New York, acquired in 1999. with Bonhams, London, 30 September 2015, no.91. Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13132-248966.
A similar jar in the British Museum was found in Warwick Square, London, inside a lead canister, and was originally filled with bone ashes. The Romans often reused glass jars, originally made for storing liquids and foodstuffs, as cremation vessels, but this kind of jar seems too fragile and was therefore probably purpose-made. The lead canister, which was found with the jar from London, protected the glass and bones. Georgio Sangiorgi is one of the most famous names associated with the field of ancient glass collecting. Working from the Galleria Sangiorgi in the Palazzo Borghese, Sangiorgi acquired the most magnificent collection of ancient glass, seeking only the finest examples.
