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LOT 0701
Roman Bronze Statuette Group
2ND CENTURY B.C-1ST CENTURY A.D.
1 1/8 - 1 3/4 in. (42 grams total, 30-47 mm).
Comprising: small figure pierced at the middle wit pellet detailing to face and body, legs spread; figure in active pose with slanting stripes across the body, possibly intended for Hercules; probably votives for deposition at a temple. [2, 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.
See Durham, E., Metal Figurines in Roman Britain, vol. 2, Reading, 2010, for discussion.
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 Square-Shaped Bell
Circa 1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Of quadrilateral form, with a rectangular cross-section at base, tapering to a rounded dome with large integral suspension loop with five facets to the outer face; clanger absent. 162 grams, 82 mm
Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK.
The Romans used bells in ritual and secular contexts, when they could be suspended from the necks of animals, worn for talismanic protection or as anklets by servants. -
Roman Gold Ring with Head of Roma Garnet Gemstone
Circa 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,600
With a grooved hoop, round bezel with flared rim, set with a cabochon engraved with profile bust of Roma wearing a crested helmet. 4.50 grams, 24.32 mm overall, 20.69 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N 1/2, USA 6 3/4, Europe 14.35, Japan 13)
Acquired from London galleries during the 1990s. From the jewellery collection of a London, UK, gentleman. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12110-214298.
Both the ring and the gem show characteristic compatible with 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D. dating. Some scholars identify the female head with a theatre mask, but here the strong profile and the helmet points to the goddess Rome, a divine personification of the eternal city. -
Roman Bronze Statue of Mars Gradivus
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £4,000 - 6,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
Modelled in the round as a young beardless warrior hero with muscular body and rounded shoulders; wearing a high-crested pseudo-Attic helmet with a diadem; the hair arranged in orderly locks over his brow; the bent left hand would originally have held a shield and the extended right hand a spear. 278 grams, 13.5 cm high
Ex collection of Dr Djafari (1900-1981), Kaiserslautern, Germany. 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.11812-206498.
This statue of Mars Gradivus, the marching god of war, was probably a cult offering. The statuette still presents an archaic Etruscan hairstyle, being part of the Italic statuettes of the god produced as votive offering to the temples or for private lararia. A Gallo-Roman period temple dedicated to the cult of Mars with a similar statuette has recently been found in Brittany.
