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LOT 0931
Roman Bronze Rat-Tailed Spoon
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
6 1/8 in. (10.9 grams, 15.5 cm).
With broad, gently curved bowl, tapering handle with transverse hatching at the junction with the bowl. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired on the UK art market during the late 20th century.
From the private collection of David King (1940-2024), Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, UK.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Garnet Gemstone Depicting a Hunting Dog
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Ellipsoid in plan with intaglio hound crouching. 1.62 grams, 15 mm
From the private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The Romans kept dogs for many purposes; such as for hunting game, protecting a flock of sheep, guarding the house, and providing companionship. -
Roman Bronze Statue of a Bear Killing a Deer
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
On a stepped triangular base, bear with head raised, forepaws round the neck of a deer with legs folded beneath the body. 398 grams, 10 cm
Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996). Private collection of Mr K.A. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Combat between large animals was a popular theme in Roman art. The staging of such fights in the Flavian Amphitheatre in the heart of Rome is evidenced. Furthermore, the 3rd-4th century A.D. mosaic floor unearthed at Lod, Israel, in 1996 shows several scenes with ferocious wild animal - a lion and lioness, an elephant, a giraffe, a rhinoceros, a tiger, and a wild bull - all arranging themselves for a colossal fight to the death. The mosaic was lifted intact and is on display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. -
Roman Bronze Lion Head Mount
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Discoid mount with a lion-head modelled in the round to the centre, the beast with fierce expression and gaping jaws; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 218 grams total, 10 cm high including stand
Private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Bronze lions were chosen guardian figures for millennia in both the Greek and Roman worlds. Representations of lions have been discovered in various contexts, appearing on gates and tombs in ancient Greece and on Roman coffins (sarcophagi), where they symbolise victory of the soul over death and evil.
