Roman Bronze Statuette of a Nude Male

Carved with dentilled edge above and scooped base, lateral fluting, median rib and comma-shaped voids; to reverse, lateral slots to accept the case of the scabbard. 19.2 grams, 64 mm



From a London, UK, collection, 1990s.

The box chapes were a clear category of scabbard closures for the 3rd century Roman swords. The shape of the chape was that of a high rectangle laterally closed by a flat border remembering a box; the sides enlarge in a bow shape on the lower part. Miks has divided the category in three variants, A-B-C, each of them divided into two sub-variants. They were mainly made of bone, although specimens in bronze (Corbridge, Aquincum) and iron (Kunzing, Dura Europos? This last very corroded) and even in silver (Hortbágy) survive.

With bulbous body and short neck with thickened rim, low foot with concentric circles to base; the re-affixed handle with an actor's mask to the base and incised petals beneath the thumbpad. 563 grams total, 11.7-15 cm



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00050269. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12397-226686.

Mount formed as a comic actor's mask with braided wig, exaggerated scooped mouth and grotesque features, hollow to the reverse. 32.1 grams, 33 mm



From the private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s.