Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0193
Roman Bronze Statuette of Mercury
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
4 in. (85 grams total, 10.2 cm including stand).
Modelled standing nude, wearing the winged petasos and with a bag of coins in his extended right hand; mounted on a custom-made stand. [No Reserve]
Provenance
From 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.
Literature
Cf. Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, items 27, 30 for type.
Footnotes
This statuette of possible Gallo-Roman origin is part of a production of quickly cast votive bronzes, where the features of the body and face were barely highlighted. However, it presents very clearly the characteristic petasos with wings and the small bag, symbol of his protectorate over travellers, traders and thieves.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Mosaic Floor Section
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
An irregular panel of floor with opus caementicium substrate and white stone tesserae embedded in horizontal rows in the upper layer. 2.2 kg, 20.5 cm
From the collection of a late East Anglian teacher and antiquarian who retired to the Isle of Wight, UK. He amassed a large collection of objects between the 1960s-1980s. -
Roman Lead Figure of Aphrodite Holding a Severed Swan's Head
1st-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
Modelled in the round nude and and raising her right arm, holding the neck of the swan (her animal attribute); left arm descending towards her pubis, legs in contrapposto stance; gusseted drum-shaped base; repaired. 327 grams, 19.5 cm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12099-218223.
Although the presence of the swan in this position is rather rare, iconographically, this image is part of the abundant series of statuettes of Aphrodite/Venus widely distributed during the Roman Imperial era. -
Roman Bronze Brooch Collection
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Comprising: gilt-bronze plate brooch with central glass cabochon; crossbow brooch with onion-shaped knops; P-shaped bow brooch with coiled spring and pin. 72 grams total, 34-64 mm
Acquired on the European art market since the early 2000s. From the private Northern Ireland collection of R.M.
