Roman Carnelian Gemstone of Apollo

Trapezoidal in plan base fragment with figures carved in the round: tree with bands of horizontal ribbing; left foot, ankle and calf of a male wearing open-toed sandal and military-style boot, the upper part decorated with the skin of a lion cub; body of a dog sitting at heel beside the tree. 13.9 kg, base: 30 cm long



Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12578-232182. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The military boot cothurnus worn here by a hunter or a military commander, was widely used by commanders of the Roman army, and sometimes by actors playing military heroes. Officers wore splendid closed cothurni of various colours, like those realised in blue leather and worn by an officer represented on a fresco from Stabiae (D’Amato-Sumner, 2009, p.13).

Cuboid 'die' drilled through the centre, each of the four faces with a different animal: a hare, an eagle facing back, a dove, and a dolphin(?), probably used in a game of dice. 1.6 grams, 6 mm



Property of a Cambridgeshire, UK, collector. From his private collection since the 1970s; thence by descent circa 2000. Ex private collection of a Bedfordshire gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

With shallow convex body and slightly inturned rim; iridescent surface. 161 grams, 16.5 cm



From an important London collection of glass, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.