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LOT 0835
Roman Bronze Peacock Statuette
3RD-4TH CENTURY A.D.
2 7/8 in. (60.7 grams total, 75 mm including stand).
With rounded body and small lateral wings, broad fanned tail with radiating lines and ring-and-dt motifs; mounted on a custom-made stand. [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. Tilley E., Old collections, New questions: researching the Roman Collections of the Yorkshire Museum, York, 2018, for two peacock figurines (H2427; 2015.572) from York, one from the Railway Station cemetery. Another peacock from York (H2428) is thought to be a sceptre head.
FootnotesThe peacock had a dual symbolism in the Graeco-Roman world. In the pagan world it was the symbol of the goddess Hera (Roman Juno) and represented her beauty and immortality. In the Roman-Christian world it became a symbol of the resurrection of Christ, owing to its yearly moult and regrowth of its spectacular feathers.
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 Ring with Bird
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Scaphoid bezel with incuse image of a perching bird looking to the rear. 2.17 grams, 20.27 mm overall, 16.57 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L, USA 5 3/4, Europe 11.24, Japan 10)
UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a London gentleman. -
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Roman Gold Ring with Sphinx
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Hollow-formed shank with carinated profile, inset garnet cabochon with winged sphinx standing on a baseline. 5.78 grams, 24.45 mm overall, 15.52 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G, USA 3 1/4, Europe 4.92, Japan 4)
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. -
Roman Bronze Bird Weight
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Modelled in the round with slot to the underside. 5.7 grams, 19 mm wide
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
