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LOT 0943
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Scorpion
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
3/8 in. (0.49 grams, 11 mm).
Ellipsoid type with incuse design to the underside of a scorpion with segmented tail; supplied with a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
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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Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Stork Emerging from a Seashell in Gold Ring
1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,510
The oval intaglio engraved with a whimsical image of a stork emerging from the mouth of a large seashell, its neck arched forward to seize a small mouse by the tail; set in a finely made 19th-century ring with openwork shoulders; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 4.25 grams, 24.31 mm overall, 19.30 mm internal diameter (approximate size British T, USA 9 1/2, Europe 21.26, Japan 20)
Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13365-257944.
The stork, a bird symbolic in antiquity of vigilance, filial piety, and longevity, here appears in an imaginative fusion with a marine shell—an element often associated with Venus and the sea. The capture of the mouse adds an element of humour and narrative intrigue, perhaps evoking themes of cunning, the triumph of wit, or the unexpected in nature. Such unusual compositions are occasionally found in Roman glyptics of the late Republican period, appealing both for their novelty and symbolic richness. -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Gryllus in Gold Ring
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
Translucent oval intaglio featuring a standing gryllus wearing a gryphon-headed helmet, flanked by the inscription 'KAΛHI' meaning 'to the beautiful one'; set in a later gold ring with a D-section hoop; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 9.29 grams, 23.83 mm overall, 20.32 x 17.88 mm internal diameter (approximate size British R 1/2, USA 8 3/4, Europe 19.38, Japan 18)
Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13322-257896.
Fanciful combinations of various human and animal heads, sometimes with the addition of other elements, are generally called grylloi. These fantastic devices were more than mere artists' fancies and were worn by the ancient Romans and others for their supposed efficacy in averting the evil eye. -
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Extended Nozzle
Holy Land, circa 4th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
Round body with an elongated nozzle, raised ribs extending from the rear of the lamp to the edge of the nozzle. 64.2 grams, 94 mm
Ex Ancient Art Shop, Windsor, UK, 1990s. Ex private West County, UK, collection.
