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LOT 0926
Roman Bronze Statuette of Priapus
1ST CENTURY B.C.-2ND CENTURY A.D.
2 7/8 in. (116 grams total, 72 mm including stand).
Modelled in the round, the god standing wearing a paenula, his two hands holding up the hem to support a pile of fruits on his erect penis; mounted on a custom-made stand. [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.
Cf. Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 136, for type.
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 Phallic Pendant
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £444
Amuletic fascinum formed as a crescent with phallus to the right, hand in the fica gesture to the left and male genitals below; each with a loop beneath for attachment of another pendant; large loop above and attachment strap with stud. 81.5 grams, 68 mm
Acquired in Europe in 1990s. European private collection. -
Roman Bronze Bell
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Trapezoidal in section with loop to the apex, pierced to accept a clapper; many of these objects are published in the Detector Finds book series. 137 grams, 68 mm
From the collection of the famous author, writer and speaker, Gordon Bailey, Essex, UK; formed since 1968.
The bell was probably used inside a temple where its melodic sound was thought to add to the aura of reverence and mystery. In Mithraic temples, bells were rung as part of the ceremonial, while in the cult of Attis the bell and tympanum were also used to serve food and drink as the critical part of the rituals of consumption. One Roman order of priests applied the term -
Roman Bronze Scallop Shell Attachment Pair
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £535
Each composed of shell-shaped body with a D-shaped lug to reverse, the lug with tapering spike to the centre. 343 grams total, 12.5 cm each
Private collection, Rosenheim, Germany, 1960s.
This pair could have been used as a double key or door lock, based on comparison with some keys from the territory of Gaul (Boucher, 1971, pp.200-201). They comprised a strong ring with polygonal-section stem and a rectangular point.
