Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Altar

Domed mount with down-turned mouth and small almond-shaped eyes, hair parted at the middle and swept to the sides, stud at the rear. 13.8 grams, 33 mm



From an English private collection, 1980s. Property of a London, UK, antiquarian.

With a palla drawn up over her hair, stepped at the rear to indicate a chignon; soft, youthful facial features with fleshy cheeks and a rounded jawline; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.47 kg total, 18.5 cm including stand



with Gorny & Mosch, Munich, 21 June 2005, no.344. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Gorny & Mosch catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13198-250132.

The head comes from a statue that most likely represented a matronly deity, Demeter or Hestia/Vesta, the goddess protector of the home hearth. The latter seems the most likely, as she was usually depicted (as in the Hestia Iustiniani, a prototype often replicated in the Roman era) with a covered head (velato capite), a symbol of modesty and marital virtue for the Roman matron.

Each a cuboid with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 4:3. 3.8 grams total, 10 mm each



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.