Loading, please wait...
LOT 0666
Roman Bronze Statue Base
CIRCA 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
5 3/4 in. (556 grams, 14.5 cm).
Featuring moulded legs and scalloped lower edge to front face; circular hole to the top; hollow-formed.
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.
Cf. Bolla, M., 'Bronzi figurati romani da luoghi di culto dell'Italia Settentrionale,' in LANX 20 (2015), pp. 49‐143, fig.10, p.57.
FootnotesSome bronze supports found in the dedication shrines in temples are peculiar: they often have no frames of architectural derivation and have a central hole to the top. These bases seem to have not been intended for statuettes but for objects that may have needed support on a wall due to their height, possibly military standards, numerous fragments of which have been found in the Northern Italian regions. If this hypothesis is correct, this base could confirm the dedication of 'standards' as ex voto, positioned in the temple as a place for the conservation of military insignia.
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.
-
Romano-British Bronze Adlocutio Type Repousse Brooch
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
Imitating Hadrian's sestertius adlocutio, the emperor with a companion (or Castor and Pollux) on horseback, one of the horsemen holding a round shield; arrayed legions in front of them wearing crested helmets, raised spears and quadrangular shields; legionary eagle in the foreground; the scene enclosed within a rope border; pin lugs and catchplate to the reverse. 12.9 grams, 33 mm
From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection, 1990s. This brooch is an extreme rarity and is believed to be the finest known example. 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.11747-202502.
These brooches were a mystery until one was excavated at Wiggonholt, Sussex, together with three other damaged specimens now in the Devizes Museum, all from Wiltshire (more precisely Cold Kitchen Hill). The image of the original coin was slightly modified. The local craftsman improved the coin type making his brooch more interesting, transforming the Emperor Hadrian on horseback into two cavalrymen, probably the sacred Dioscuri, while the Roman Aquila, symbol of the legions, was taken from the top of the signa and placed in the foreground. -
Roman Bronze Plate Brooch
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
With openwork design enclosed in a notched roundel, addorsed c-shaped central spokes and punched ring-and-dot motifs; hinged pin and catchplate to the reverse; complete. 14.8 grams, 37 mm
Acquired 1970s-1980s. From a London brooch collector, UK. -
Roman Bronze Lion Collection
1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £600 - 800 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £333
Modelled with stylised detailing in various poses, most free-standing; including a roundel carved with a lion's head in relief. 212 grams total, 26-45 mm
‘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.