Loading, please wait...
LOT 0143
Roman Bronze Sitting Bear
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
1 7/8 in. (65 grams, 47 mm).
Formed in the round on a curved base, semi-naturalistic anatomical and facial detailing; circular socket to base of neck and base.
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:
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.
LOT 0143
Roman Bronze Sitting Bear
Estimate £600 - 800€700 - 930 (for guidance only)$810 - 1,080 (for guidance only)
-
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40
Featuring an elaborate monogram composed of Greek letters M, A, T and P on three supporting prongs; tapering cylindrical socket. 343 grams, 29.5 cm high
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
Branding stamps or signacula, in particular those with large single letters, were used for marking livestock to identify the owner, the breed, the quality and other features of the animal. These signacula were usually made in bronze, but iron examples are also preserved. -
Roman Green Glass Cotton Reel Type Unguentarium
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Broadly spool-shaped with a squat body, tapering cylindrical neck and flared rolled rim. 43.7 grams, 63 mm
Acquired 1969-1999. From the private collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK, thence by descent. -
Roman Bronze Phallic Amulet
3rd-4th century A.D. or laterEstimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Composed of a hollowed truncated conical socket, with a curved arm to each side, one ending in a phallic shape, the other ending with a closed fist. 26.1 grams, 55 mm
Acquire in the 1990s. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
Roman phallic amulets are represented by many examples preserved in museums and private collections, with a vast variety of types. This specimen belongs to category of double phallus, even if one of the male attributes is here represented as a fist. These amulets were worn as a wish for fertility and virile power, often hung on horses as harness pendants.