Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0159
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Two Victories
4TH CENTURY A.D.
5/8 in. (1.64 grams, 17 mm).
The oval intaglio engraved with two winged Victories, facing each other in profile, wearing long garments crossed on the breast like a trabea consularis, both holding a staff-standard with a double forked tip.
Provenance
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Important North West London collection.
Literature
Cf. a very similar winged Victory in a 7th century A.D. pendant with an ancient Roman gemstone, in Kornbluth, G., ‘The Transformative Power of the Metalwork Mount’ in Entwistle, C., Adams, N., Gems of Heaven, recent research on engraved Gemstones in Late Antiquity, c. AD 200-600, London, 2011, p.254, pl.21.
Footnotes
The iconography of two Victories facing each other is clearly from Late Antiquity and reflects the images of the two victorious empires - East and West - that, transformed into winged Nikes, are holding together the standard with the chi-rho (the two Greek letters forming the initials of the name of Christ), conceived as a long shaft topped by the Greek letter P (R) and the superimposed letter X.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0159
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Two Victories
Estimate £800 - 1,000€930 - 1,160 (for guidance only)$1,080 - 1,350 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Silver Standing Eagle Statuette
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Modelled in the round with naturalistic detailing, wings held slightly open. 10.9 grams, 34 mm
‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection. -
Roman Colchester Inscribed CAMV Mortarium Fragment
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Comprising a section of the rim and inner wall of a mortarium vessel; stamped 'CAMV' within a rectangular panel to the upper face of the rim; repaired. 263 grams, 19 cm
Found Bedfordhire, 1980s. Property of a Kempston, UK gentleman.
The abbreviation of CAMV for the ancient town of Camulodunum (modern Colchester, Essex) is well attested and commonly seen on the coins of the Celtic king Cunobelin. -
Roman Bronze Mouse Nibbling a Nut Statuette
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Modelled with naturalistic detailing on all fours nibbling at a nut held between the forepaws, tail curled upwards. 11.9 grams, 29 mm
‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.
