Loading, please wait...
LOT 0896
Roman Bronze Putto Statuette
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
1 1/2 in. (26 grams, 37 mm).
Modelled in the round reclining with weight on the left arm, left leg drawn up, head turned. [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.
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Roman Rock Crystal Bead Necklace
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Restrung group of clear quartz melon bead and hexagonal-section tubular beads. 103 grams, 53.5 cm long
with a London, UK gallery 1971. -
Roman Silver Horse Brooch
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Zoomorphic bow brooch with hexagonal-section head and hinge for the pin, bow forming the horse's body and smaller bow for the neck with hatched mane; catch formed by the forelegs. 16.5 grams, 37 mm
Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman. -
.jpg)
Roman Lead Coffin Fragment with Sphinx, Medusa and Dolphins
2nd-3rd century A.DSold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Decorated with a high-relief pattern comprising sphinxes surrounded by dolphins and masks of Medusa surrounded by laurel leaves all between Corinthian columns; ropework and floral border strips with laurel leaves above; lip below the upper edge. 20.1 kg, 101.5 cm
Acquired 1970s-early 1990s. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
This item belongs to types widespread in the Eastern Mediterranean. The panel is decorated with a columned structure, and within each section are symbols of the outer-world, including gorgons, sphinx and dolphins. The sphinx, having a human head and breasts, legs and paws of a lion, and wings of a bird, was generally associated with protecting imperial tombs and temples. The roundels featuring the head of Medusa, known for her potent gazes that could turn one to stone, was favoured on sarcophagi and architectural ornaments because it was believed that her image would protect those within. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife.
