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_900x900.jpg "Roman Bronze Neptune Statuette")
_200x200.jpg "Roman Bronze Neptune Statuette")
.jpg "Roman Bronze Neptune Statuette")
LOT 0723
Roman Bronze Neptune Statuette
1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
2 3/8 in. (37 grams, 60 mm).
Standing nude with arms raised, legs in advancing pose. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Cf. Boucher, S. & Tassinari, S., Musée de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine a Lyon: Bronzes Antiques I. Inscriptions, Statuaire, Vaisselle, Lyon, 1976, item 54, for similar figure of Neptune, item 61, for similar figure of Sucellus.
FootnotesThe condition of the statuette does not allow a easy identification of its original characterization, but the position of the body shows a certain affinity with provincial statuettes of the god Neptune, especially produced in Gallo-Roman ateliers. Some statuettes of Sucellus, the Gallic divinity assimilated into the Roman Pantheon as the equivalent of the Dispater, brother of Jupiter, could possibly also bear resemblance with our statuette for the position of the body.
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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Life-Size Roman Marble Sleeping Girl from a Sarcophagus Lid
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20,800
Modelled in the half-round, nude with eyelids half-closed in sleep; a drapery partly covering the head and wrapping around the lower body under the hips; the hairstyle similar to those of the Antonine Dynasty, the peaceful face supported by the hands and the ear pierced to accept an earring; iron reinforcing rod to the feet and the right arm's armilla a later replacement; upper head restored in Parian marble. 104 kg, 110 cm long (120 kg, 117 cm including stand)
Acquired from G. Rihani, 1987. English private collection. Accompanied by a copy of the purchase invoice, 2 July 1987. 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.12231-218595
The girl shows exotic features, evocative of Roman North Africa, where a mixed Romano-Berber population lived in one of the richest provinces of the Empire. However, the hairstyle refers to those of the Antonine Dynasty, such as the portraits of the Empress Faustina the Elder. It represents probably a sarcophagus lid of a young noble girl, commissioned by her loving parents. Some restorations, today still visible, were done in ancient times: an iron rod at the feet for reinforcement, the armilla on the right arm sculpted at a later stage, the hole in the ear for the insertion of a lost metal or glass earring, the upper part of the head restored in antique with a portion of Parian marble. The sculpture is a Roman work, but it was inspired by a Hellenistic model, probably from Pergamon. -
Roman Bronze Eagle Staff Terminal
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Comprising a hollow-formed knop with collar to the socket, eagle modelled in the round perching on the knop with wings spread and head turned; socket behind the shoulders. 236 grams, 81 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12238-222314. -
Roman Bronze Helmet Handle
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Comprising a crescentic tapering shank with ribbed baluster to the centre; attachment points formed as wings with punched detailing. 65 grams, 92 mm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
Many such handles are formed as a pair of opposed dolphins, whence the conventional name 'dolphin mounts'. They were attached to infantry helmets so that they could be carried when not in use, or slung from a strap.
