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LOT 0170
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Stork Emerging from a Seashell in Gold Ring
1ST CENTURY B.C.
1 in. (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)).
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.
ProvenanceAcquired 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.
Cf. a gemstone with a stork in Gołyźniak, P., Engraved Gems and Propaganda in the Roman Republic and under Augustus, Oxford, 2020, fig.466.
FootnotesThe 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.
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 0170
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Stork Emerging from a Seashell in Gold Ring
Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,510
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Roman Black Gemstone with Victory Scene
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Ellipsoid in plan with chamfered sides, intaglio scene with soldier or gladiator standing with a spear, figure to his rear holding a wreath above his head; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 2.18 grams, 19 mm
Ex London, UK, based collection, 1990s. Accompanied by a previously illustrated catalogue card with provenance. -
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Roman Jasper Gemstone with Mithraic Tauroctony in Gold Ring
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,900
An oval intaglio depicting Mithras, a snake and a dog killing a bull, six stars on the field; set in a later gold ring; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 9.93 grams, 23.61 mm overall, 18.88 mm internal diameter (approximate size British R 1/2, USA 8 3/4, Europe 19.38, Japan 18)
English private collection. Reportedly acquired several decades ago in Covent Garden, London, still mounted in its original, heavily corroded iron ring; removed from this setting and remounted in a gold ring in recent years by the owner, a commercial airline pilot. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13325-28218.
The interpretation of the Mithraic tauroctony has long been the subject of scholarly debate. The Belgian historian of religions and orientalist Franz Cumont (1868–1947) was the first to propose that the scene should be understood as an astral allegory rather than a purely mythological episode. More recently, David Ulansey developed this hypothesis by interpreting the tauroctony as a symbolic representation of the precession of the equinoxes. In his reading, Mithras—identified with the constellation Perseus—embodies the supreme cosmic power capable of moving the sphere of the fixed stars, while the slaying of the bull symbolises the transition from one cosmic age to another, expressing Mithras' dominion over the celestial order itself. -
Roman Iridescent Glass Flared Kalathos
3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £300 - 400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £150
Conical body with a flat base. 67 grams, 79 mm
Acquired in the 1990s from London dealerships and auction houses. From the Lonson collection.
