Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0132
Roman Bronze Lamp with Theatrical Mask
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
5 1/4 in. (220 grams, 13.3 cm).
Nozzle with quasi-volutes, theatrical mask surrounding the central opening; ring-handle with palmette attachment; base moulded.
Provenance
Acquired from Weber, Kohl.
Ex private collection, Rhemish, Germany.
with Gorny & Mosch, 14 December 2010, lot 499.
Private collection, Europe.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11800-206492.
Literature
Cf. Walters, H.B., Catalogue of the Greek and Roman lamps in the British Museum, London, 1914, no.1468, for the type.
Footnotes
The principal parts of a lamp were the body or reservoir which contained the oil (infundibulum); the flat circular top (discus) on which the design, if any, was placed, sometimes with an ornamented rim (margo), the nozzle, with a hole for the insertion of the wick (rostrum, nasus, myxus), the wick, known as ellydinium, the handle (ansa, manubrium).
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0132
Roman Bronze Lamp with Theatrical Mask
Estimate £3,000 - 4,000€3,480 - 4,640 (for guidance only)$4,050 - 5,400 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Marble Head of Dionysus
Circa 2nd century A.D.Estimate: £30,000 - 40,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £15,000
A Roman copy of a Greek original, wearing a crown of leaves and corymbs, hair falling in straight lines underneath the diadem; full beard composed of four rows of thick tufts with drilled holes; slightly open mouth with a fleshy lower lip; low cheekbones and hollow cheeks; large almond-shaped eyes with lachrymal duct; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 15.8 kg total, 48 cm high including stand
Ex private French collection, early 1960s. Acquired by the current owner in 2011. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Marina Mattei and Dr Laura Maria Vigna. Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.129940. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11791-206395
The head finds comparable parallels with a series of herms representing philosophers, lyricists and the god Hermes, deriving from Greek originals of the 5th century B.C. The reworking of these typologies in a cultured environment is due to the diffusion of sculptures linked to the idea of speculative otium and withdrawal into the bucolic world of which Dionysus was guardian and protector. The typology of the representation associates him with the concept of continuous rebirth and fertility of nature, typical of Dionysus Lenaeus. -
Roman Bronze Bracelet Group
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising three flat-section bracelets with overlapping rounded terminals. 41 grams total, 61-68 mm
From the family collection of a Surrey gentleman since before 1960.
Bracelets were worn in Rome by ladies of rank, but it was considered a mark of effeminacy for civilian men to use such female ornaments (Suetonius, Caligula, 52; Nero, 30). The armillae (or psellia in Greek) were rings and bracelets worn by women in the Graeco-Roman world on both legs and arms. Homer mentions them (elikas) as being part of the hairstyle of the divine Aphrodite, thus giving an almost sacred character to these objects. There were different types, the most common consisting of a more or less thick metal wire, or a flat or cylindrical circle, like our examples. -
Carnelian Gemstone with Bust of Zeus
Roman, 2nd century A.D. or laterEstimate: £600 - 800 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £333
The oval intaglio engraved with a bearded head of Zeus or an emperor in profile, bearded, a laurel crown laced behind the neck. 0.68 grams, 15 mm
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Important North West London collection.
Zeus, the main god of the Graeco-Roman pantheon, typically has his hair radiating outwards, forming a corona of individual strands. The 2nd century emperor Hadrian was the first bearded Roman emperor, a fashion continued by his successors, creating a representation in connection with the image of the King of the Olympians.