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LOT 0788
Roman Bronze Tankard Handle with Drunken Putto on Donkey
2ND CENTURY A.D.
6 3/4 in. (318 grams total, 17 cm including stand).
Comprising a crescent plaque above with facing mask a a thumb-pad, lateral scrolls; perpendicular D-section bar with ribbing to the outer face; rectangular lower attachment panel with scrolled upper corners, high-relief putto (?) holding a patera in one hand and tankard in the other, riding an ass side-saddle; 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. Tassinari, S., La Vaisselle de Bronze, Romaine et Provinciale, au Musée des Antiquités Nationales, XXIXe supplément de Gallia, Paris, 1975, items 152, 173, 173, 178, for type.
FootnotesThis type of bronze handles are usually depicting mythological scenes. The scene of the putto riding a donkey is often linked to Bacchic processions. The face of the character riding the donkey could also correspond to that of Silenus, who in the same processions is often represented riding such an animal.
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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LOT 0788
Roman Bronze Tankard Handle with Drunken Putto on Donkey
Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
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Roman Bronze Lock and Mount Collection
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Including voided key bits, discoid studs and other items; many of these objects are published in the Detector Finds book series. 232 grams total, 16-80 mm
From the collection of the famous author, writer and speaker, Gordon Bailey, Essex, UK; formed since 1968. -
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 -
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Roman Glass Pendant Pair
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
A pair of bullae with integral loops, both showing iridescence. 1.29 grams total, 15-16 mm
Collected from 1970-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK.
Freeborn Roman boys wore bullae until they reached adulthood, being given them eight days after their birth, on the same day that they were named. This important marked boys acceptance into the family. Bullae made of gold would only have been affordable to the members of the elite, whilst the lower classes wore pendants made of less expensive materials. The feminine equivalent was a lunar (crescentic) pendant.
