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LOT 0553
Roman Bronze 'Knuckle Bone' Gaming Piece
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (16.3 grams, 21 mm).
Cast model of a bovine astragalus, used as a gaming counter. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx collection formed in the 1990s.
Acquired from a central London gallery.
Property of an Essex gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Fresco Painted Wall Plaster Collection
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Comprising five pieces in cream, orange, blue and red with painted architectural lines; one with floral decoration and one with a shaded 'grid' making it look three-dimensional. 622 grams total, 73 - 98 mm
Acquired in the 19th century. Ex Jeger collection, Switzerland. -
Roman Lead Coffin Panel with Sphinx, Medusa and Dolphins
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
Decorated with patterns comprising sphinxes, dolphins, and masks of Medusa in fields between columns, and floral border strips with laurel leaves. 19.75 kg, 90 cm
Acquired 1970s-early 1990s. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11993-209841.
There were many ways of burying bodies during the Roman Empire. Although the majority were buried without coffins, there is evidence for wooden coffins, lead-framed wooden coffins, tile burials and lead and stone coffins. This item belongs to types widespread in the Eastern Mediterranean. The panel is decorated with a columned structure, and within each section are symbols of the outer-world, including gorgons, sphinx and dolphins. The sphinx, having a human head and breasts, legs and paws of a lion, and wings of a bird, was generally associated with protecting imperial tombs and temples. The roundels featuring the head of Medusa, known for her potent gazes that could turn one to stone, was favoured on sarcophagi and architectural ornaments because it was believed that her image would protect those within. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Very often these sarcophagi were connected by a pipe to the ground above so that mourners could pour in offerings into the grave. -
Roman Gold Earrings with Bosses
Circa 1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £625
Matched pair of gold earrings, each a wire hoop developing to three twisted strands with hook-and-eye closure, shield with central granule cluster and braided filigree to the rim; lozengiform fluted box below with granule detailing to the lower face. 6.24 grams total, 28-31 mm
From a collection of a London lady, acquired annually during 1990s-2000s.
