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LOT 0563
Roman Bronze Musical Flute
CIRCA 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
9 in. (87 grams, 23 cm).
An extremely rare aulos or tibia with round-section body, six circular holes to one side and a D-shaped hole to the reverse.
ProvenanceFrom the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister; from her collection formed early 1960s-1990s.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11055-184396.
See Daremberg, C.V. & Saglio, E. (eds.), Dictionnaire des Antiquités Grecques et Romaines, Paris, 1873-1917, fig.6965; see a cast of the Roman flute from Pompeii, in the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures (inventory 1916.07.0011); Wardle, M.A., Musical Instruments in the Roman World, London, 1981, for iconography (pp.35ff., 115ff. and especially pl.22), and original specimens from Pompeii, pls.1-2; the closest parallel in Palagyi, T., Facsady, A., Romains de Hongrie, Lyon, 2002, p.117, fig.259 (bronze tibia from Pannonia, Savaria, today Szombathely).
FootnotesThe flute was used for religious ceremonies and for entertainment. The pyrrhic, a war dance of Doric origin, was a rapid dance to the double flute, and made to resemble an action in battle.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0563
Roman Bronze Musical Flute
Estimate £4,000 - 6,000€4,640 - 6,960 (for guidance only)$5,400 - 8,100 (for guidance only)
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Roman 'Thames' Bronze Phallic Seal Box and Pendant Group
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
The seal box with remains of articulate hinge, raised phallus to top face with red enamelled detail; exaggerated stylised penis pendant with fragment of suspension loop remaining. 10.6 grams total, 29-41 mm
Found Billingsgate spoil from the Thames foreshore, London, UK. -
Roman Bronze Military Diploma for Marona, son of Baddaus, a Soldier of Ala Bosporanorum
Dated 19th November 102 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,940
Bifacial discharge plaque honesta missio, for a soldier from Commagene serving under Emperor Trajan; Side A: diplomatic text in fourteen lines of seriffed capitals: [IMPERATOR CAESAR DIVI NERVAE FILIVS NERVA TRAIANVS AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS DACICVS PONTIFEX MAXIMVS TRIBVNICIA POTESTATE VI IMPERATOR IIII CONSUL IIII PATER PATRIAE ... QUORUM NOMINA SUBSCRIPTA SUNT IPSIS LIBERIS POSTERISQUE EORVM CIVITATEM DEDIT ET CO] NUBIVM CVM UXORIBVS QVAS TVNC HABVISSENT CVM EST CIVITAS IIS DA- TA AVT SIQVI CELIBES ESSENT CVM IIS QUAS POSTEA DVXISSENT DVM- TAXAT SINGVLI SINGVLAS A (NTE) D(IEM) XIII K(ALENDAS) DECEMBR(ES) L(VCIO) ANTONIO ALBO M(ARCO) IVNIO HOMVLLO CO(N)S(VLIBVS) ALAE BOSPORANORVM CVI PRAEST C(AIVS) IVLIUS CAPITO GREGALI MARONAE BADDAEI F(ILIO) COMMAGEN(IENSI) DESCRIPT(VM) ET RECOGNIT(VM) EX TABVLA AENEA QVAE FIXA EST ROMAE Translation: The Emperor Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus, conqueror of Germany, conqueror of Dacia, son of the deified Nerva, pontifex maximus, in his sixth year of tribunician power, four times acclaimed Imperator, four times consul, father of his country, has granted to the ones...whose names are written below, citizenship for themselves, their children and descendants, and the right of legal marriage with the wives they had when citizenship was granted to them, or, if any were unmarried, with those they later marry, but only a single one each. 19 November, in the consulships of Lucius Antonius Albus and Marcus Iunius Homullus (A.D. 102). To Marona, son of Baddaus, from Commagene, soldier of the Ala Bosporanorum, commanded by Gaius Iulius Capito. Copied and checked from the bronze tablet set up at Rome. Side B: tabulation in two columns of witness names in seriffed rustic capitals: L. TERENTI • NEPOTIS (Seal of) Lucius Terentius Nepos T. VILLI • [hole for sealing the document] HERACLIDES (Seal of) Titus Villus Heraclides A. LARCI • PHRONIMI (Seal of) A. Larcius Phronimus Q • AEMILI • SOTERICI (Seal of) Quintus Aemilius Sotericus P. CAVLI • VITALIS (Seal of) Publius Caulius Vitalis L. PVLLI • [hole for sealing the document]CHARITONIS (Seal of) Lucius Pullius Chariton P. ATINI • TROPHIMI (Seal of) Publius Atinius Trophimus 214 grams, 17 cm
Ex old English collection. London art market, 1980s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11858-207740.
In the 1st century the Ala Bosporanorum was camped near the Euphrates. It was stationed in Dacia in the 2nd century; stayed for a while in Vecel, from where it went to Maroskeresztúr, where stamped bricks of their building work appear. The unit was also stationed in upper Pannonia in 116 A.D. -
Roman Glass Vessel Collection
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Including a cobalt blue feeder bottle. 68 grams total, 46 -59 mm
Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.