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LOT 0149
Roman Bronze Oil Lamp with Mask Handle
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
5 5/8 in. (442 grams, 14.2 cm).
Hollow-formed pear-shaped body with waisted nozzle, recessed discus with phallus-shaped void, arched strap handle to rear with reflector plate formed as an actor's mask with palmette below; integral socketted base.
ProvenanceAcquired on the German art market before 2000.
Ex European private collection.
Cf. Walters, H.B., Catalogue of the Greek and Roman Lamps in the British Museum, London, 1914, plate VII, no.59, for type.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman 'Thurburbo Major' Terracotta Oil Lamp
Northern Tunisia, 3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Shallow body with a D-shaped handle at the rear, the edge with a vine-leaf border, two filler holes at the centre flanking a profile bust; an old label at the base reading 'Roman redware terracotta lamp excavated at Thurburbo Major c. 3rd-4th cent AD'. 140 grams, 10.8 cm
Acquired from Vanessa Purcell & Company, Manchester, UK, in 1993. From the collection of Mr & Mrs J.G.W. Lee, late Herefordshire collectors, their collection having been established from the 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an original sales receipt. -
Large Roman Bronze Chariot or Lectica Mount of Cupid
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £25,000 - 35,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £12,500
Modelled in the round hollow-formed figure of Cupid standing nude emerging from a flower, with dressed curly hair bound into a forelock, small dorsal wings on the shoulders, a recurved bow in his left hand and an arrow supported on his right forearm; looped handles to the rear and stepped base below. 1.79 kg, 19.9 cm
From the collection of J-Ph, Mariaud de Serres, Paris, France, 1990s. Piasa Auctions, 17-18 March 2003, no.584. Private collection, Europe. 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.13215-249253. Accompanied by a copy of French passport no.237039.
These prismatic fittings covered the ends of the wooden beams, reinforcing the floor of the undercarriage on both long sides. The heavy and ornate nature of these accessories suggests they were originally attached to a more substantial vehicle such as a pilentum (used to transport aristocrats on state occasions), a carruca (for transporting emperors and aristocratic matrons) or even a thensa (a ceremonial chariot used to transport deities to the imperial games) or a lectica (portable bed for patricii and matronae). Contemporary sources describe ornate inlay, rare woods and metalwork incorporated into these vehicles, and, probably, the present fitting would originally have been gilded. -
Eastern Roman Bronze Bird Statuette
2nd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Modelled as a stylised bird standing on a globe atop an openwork pillar, the bird with wide tail and bulbous eyes. 27.5 grams, 54 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
