Roman Carnelian Gemstone of the God Apollo in Byzantine Gold Ring

Plate brooch formed as a bird with wings spread; pointillé detailing to the tail; catch, lug and part of spring to underside. 8.09 grams, 44 mm



Acquired by a Swiss family in the mid-1980s to late 1990s, thence by descent. Private collection, Switzerland, since the late 1990s.

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.

Depicted in a standing position with an erect head, the detailed claws resting on a pedestal base, folded wings and a long tail; detailed engraving of feathers, superb rendering of the beak and round eyes; Greek inscription on the front and left side of the raised square pedestal, having a square socket allowing the insertion in a staff or shaft; the inscription could be translated as: '[Ο]Ι [ΤΗ]Σ Δ[ΙΟΣ] = To Zeus / [Ε]ΤΑ[Ι]Ρ[ΕI] (?)ΡΡΑΣ = those of the association of ? ..RRAS / ΕΥΧ ΗΝ = in fulfilment of a vow'. 233 grams, 95 mm



UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. 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.13060-248309.

In the Roman world the eagle, bird associated with the god Jupiter or Zeus (Aetos Dios = Eagle of Zeus), king of the Olympian gods, and one of his most common attributes together with thunderbolt and the long sceptre, was seen as ‘the symbol and agent of apotheosis after death’ and an eagle was released from the top of an emperor’s funeral pyre to signal the journey of the soul heavenwards. Eagles were also the principal standard of the Legions, in gold or silver, and became the military symbol for excellence. However, the eagle was not reserved only for the ruling class or for military people, but was also found on funerary altars and dedications of private citizens. As is so often the case with metal figurines, nineteen of the eagles found in Britain are from unknown contexts, but they are found at a variety of site types, including four from military sites and three from urban sites. Apart from two from villas, they do not occur at rural settlement sites or at religious sites other than the temple at Woodeaton, Oxon, where a small group of five eagle figurines was recovered (Kirk, 1949; Henig and Munby, 1973). Also of interest is the eagle figure thought to have been a sceptre terminal, which was recovered from the temple at Farley Heath, Surrey. A second sceptre terminal, identified variously as an eagle or raven, was also part of the hoard found at Willingham Fen (Bird 2007, 49 no. 81, fig. 21).