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LOT 0668
Roman Bronze Nibbling Mouse Statuette
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
1 1/4 in. (29 grams, 33 mm).
Modelled with naturalistic detailing on all fours as if nibbling at food held between the forepaws, curled tail.
Provenance‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.
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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Roman Bronze Bracelet Group
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Comprising five with round-section bodies and squared terminals; the surfaces decorated with engraved lines and dots. 73 grams total, 63-66 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. -
Roman Large Glass Necklace Bead Group
Circa 1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
Comprising five opaque glass beads, including three large facetted beads, a decoratively twisted tubular bead and a 'bow-tie' shaped clay bead with bulbous mid-section; some with traces of iridescence to the surface. 60 grams total, 24-44 mm
UK gallery, early 2000s. -
Roman Solid Gold Ring with Dotted Bezel
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
With facetted shank and fluted shoulders, rectangular bezel with outer bands and central plaque bearing two lines of impressed points. 5.97 grams, 23.03 mm overall, 16.64 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G, USA 3 1/4, Europe 4.92, Japan 4)
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s.
