Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0700
Roman Bronze Lion Head Mount
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
4 in. (218 grams total, 10 cm high including stand).
Discoid mount with a lion-head modelled in the round to the centre, the beast with fierce expression and gaping jaws; mounted on a custom-made display stand.
Provenance
Private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Published
Exhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 26th May-15th September 2025; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display.
Literature
Cf. similar appliques in Lăpusan, B., ‘Lion’s head mounts from Roman Dacia’ in Firea, C., Rustoiu, A., Sub Semnul Artei, Studii în onoarea academicianului Marius Porumb la 80 de ani Cluj-Napoca, 2023, pp.395-404, fig.1.
Footnotes
Bronze lions were chosen guardian figures for millennia in both the Greek and Roman worlds. Representations of lions have been discovered in various contexts, appearing on gates and tombs in ancient Greece and on Roman coffins (sarcophagi), where they symbolise victory of the soul over death and evil.
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 0700
Roman Bronze Lion Head Mount
Estimate £400 - 600€460 - 700 (for guidance only)$540 - 810 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Bone Pin and Implement Group
3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Each with round-section shank, one with hoop finial. 29.3 grams total, 9.2-11.3 cm
Private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Deep Blue Bottle with Relief Decoration
1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
Mould-blown with spherical, squat body and dimple base; low-relief encircling laurel branch with fruit below the shoulder; tubular neck with offset rings flared towards the mouth; restored. 48.8 grams, 89 mm
with Rosebery's London, 3 May 2019, no.165. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Bronze Stamp Seal with Moon
4th-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Of tiered and balustered form with incuse image to underside, lion passant surmounted by a star and crescent moon. 4.61 grams, 23 mm
Acquired in 1993. Private collection, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
