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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 Bone Gaming Die
Circa 1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £111
Polygonal with ring-and-dot markings arranged 1:6, 2:3, 4:5. 1.63 grams, 11 mm
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection, 1990s. -
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 Bronze Mount with Satyr Face
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
Discoid mount with a raised bearded face at the centre in three-quarter view, browband resting on the forehead, pointy goat's ears and curving horns. 24.3 grams, 43 mm
Found Lincolnshire, UK.
