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LOT 0160
Roman Bronze Figurine of Venus
CIRCA 50 A.D.
10 3/4 in. (1.17 kg total, 27.3 cm high including stand).
The figure standing with her head turned slightly to the right, elegant hair falling to the shoulders in two long tresses; chiton draped around the left shoulder and sagging to expose the right breast; left hand holding a fold of the robe at her thigh, right hand slightly extended holding an apple; toes exposed beneath the fringe of her robe; mounted on a custom-made stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEuropean private collection, acquired 1980s, or before.
Subsequently British private collection, acquired late 1990s from the previous.
Acquired directly from the above by the current owner.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12052-210844.
Cf. Boucher, S. & Tassinari, S., Musée de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine a Lyon: Bronzes Antiques I. Inscriptions, Statuaire, Vaisselle, Lyon, 1976, items 65 (presenting an apple), 72 (cloth gathered in left hand).
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 Votive Hand to God Sabazios
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
Hollow-formed right hand from a statuette, with fingers splayed and flat palm, good anatomical detailing. 362 grams, 12.1 cm
Private collection 1990s. Ex London, UK, gallery.
The votive character of the hand could link it to the God Sabazios, often associated with a number of archaeological finds depicting a bronze, right hand in the benedictio latina gesture. The hand appears to have had ritual significance and may have been affixed to a sceptre (as the one carried by Sabazios on a slab, one from Philippopolis, nowadays Plovdiv in Bulgaria). The association with Sabazios is sometimes suggested in similar hands, by the presence of a snake embossed around the circumference of the hand, because the iconic image of the god or hero on horseback battling the chthonic serpent, appears on Celtic-Roman votive columns, and with the coming of Christianity it was easily adapted to the representations of Saint George fighting the Dragon. -
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Roman Marble Panther Protome Fragment
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
Sculpted as a panther with head turned on its long muscular neck, mouth open and teeth bared; highly polished finish; mounted on a custom-made stand. 758 grams total, 15 cm high including stand
Previously acquired from a USA collection, 1980s. Ex private German collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12082-213586. -
Roman Bronze Looped Figural Pendant with Phallus
Circa 1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £286
Composed of three concentric circles surmounted by a bearded figure to which is attached a suspension ring, the body of the figure engraved and ending with phallic attributes. 53 grams, 83 mm
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK.
Roman military harness included pendants of various typology, ranging from lunules to other decorative elements, often phallic, with the possible intention of protecting the animal. This particular pendant could be connected to the bearded image of the god Priapus.
