Loading, please wait...
LOT 0171
Roman Bronze Statuette of the God Harpocrates
1ST-3RD CENTURY A.D.
2 7/8 in. (4 in.) (213 grams, 73 mm (276 grams total, 10.2 cm including stand)).
Presented as a very young child sitting on the ground, wearing a long tunic which covers his lower body down to his feet; right arm bent and hand raised to the shoulder, left hand curved around an object (absent); sporting the conventional sidelock behind the right ear; mounted in a custom-made tiered wooden stand.
ProvenanceEx Hanna Saba collection, Ambassador to Egypt-USA-France (1909-1992).
Private European collection.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12098-218159.
Cf. similar item in the British Museum, London, under accession no.1896,0724.1 with the god in standing pose; see Swan Hall, E., 'Harpocrates and Other Child Deities in Ancient Egyptian Sculpture' in Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt, Vol. 14, 1977, pp.55-58, fig.1, pl.XXVII; fig.4, for full discussion.
FootnotesThe god's name was Hellenized in the Ptolemaic era and later adopted by the Romans, but it originated in the figure of 'Horus the child', son of Isis and Osiris, who was worshipped especially in Alexandria.
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.
LOT 0171
Roman Bronze Statuette of the God Harpocrates
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
-
Roman Enamelled Dog Brooch
1st-3th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Formed as a hound running right with panels to the eye, ear and flank to accept enamel; pin and catchplate to reverse. 4.23 grasms, 37 mm
Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, England. -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Eros, the Greek God of Love Holding a Theatrical Mask
1st century A.D.Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
Plano-convex in section with intaglio scene: a small winged character stands beneath a large theatrical mask, supporting it on his shoulders; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.8 grams, 17 mm
Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, England. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13118-249633.
The young Eros appears with his face inside the wide-open mouth of the mask, looking out as a spectator. The mask is held in his small hands and is characterised by a thick beard, large orbital cavities, and short hair with ribbons. He is depicted in three-quarters seen from behind, engraved and polished with great skill. The stone has a convex surface with traces of ancient burning at the bottom and slight wear marks. -
Late Roman Glass Double Unguentarium
5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £162
Composed of two conjoined tapering tubular cells, with lateral applied handles at the shoulder, decorated with applied trails; mounted on a custom-made stand. 53.7 grams, 11.6 cm (116 grams total, 13.5 cm including stand)
From an important London collection of glass, 1990s.
These late Roman double cosmetic tubes were mainly produced in the Eastern provinces. They were formed as two tubes, side by side, made from a single bubble of glass by pinching the sides vertically to form a diaphragm. The decoration consisted of a trail wound once around the body just below the rim, and a further trail wound in a spiral several times around the body.