Loading, please wait...
LOT 0121
Roman Deep Blue Glass Date Flask
1ST CENTURY A.D.
3 1/8 in. (41.7 grams, 80 mm).
Mould-blown with elliptical body, short neck and thick everted rim, with modelled wrinkles imitating the texture of a dried date.
ProvenanceDr Gonik & Me Wirth, Geneva, 1970s.
Private collection, Europe.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12394-226935.
Cf. an identical flask in the Art Institute of Chicago, inventory no.1891.32, in Alexander, K.B., ‘From Plaster to Stone: Ancient Art at the Art Institute of Chicago’ in Manchester, K., Recasting the Past: Collecting and Presenting Antiquities at the Art Institute of Chicago, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2012, p.37; see also Whitehouse, D., Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, vol.2, New York, 2001, items 519-520-521, for type; see also Stern, E.M., Ancient Glass at the foundation Custodia (Collection Frits Lug) Paris, Archaeologica Traiectina, Groningen, 1977, pp.44-46, for the diffusion of this typology inside the Mediterranean regions.
FootnotesDates were not only a staple of the Mediterranean diet, used to sweeten food and wine, but also a symbol for the New Year and a fruit often given as a gift on the occasion.
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:
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 0121
Roman Deep Blue Glass Date Flask
Estimate £2,500 - 3,500€2,900 - 4,060 (for guidance only)$3,380 - 4,730 (for guidance only)
-
Roman to Medieval Bronze Ring Group
1st-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Comprising twelve rings of different types and sizes, most with incuse motifs on the bezel. 58.1 grams total, 21-26 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Fresco Wall Plaster Collection
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Fragments of wall plaster with rendered surface painted with mainly red, pale blue and white detailing; some with impression of timber laths to the reverse. 1.09 kg total, 8.8-11 cm
Acquired in the 19th century. Ex Jeger collection, Switzerland. UK gallery, early 2000s.
These small fragments, for analogies with the fragments of Pompeii, seem to belong to the second style of Roman painting, red panels representing highlight and shadow, decorated with vegetal interlaces. Some panels were probably framed by a red grenade fillet. A fragment shows alternate blue and red colour over a cream background, maybe pertinent to a socle. -
Roman Roof Tile with 'LEG XVI' Legionary Stamp
2nd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Irregular terracotta fragment with stamped legend 'LEG XV[I]' in a rectangular frame. 497 grams, 15 cm
From the collection of a Buckinghamshire, UK, collector established from the earlier 1960s.
The Legio XVI Gallica ("Gallic Sixteenth Legion") was raised by Octavian in 41/40 BC. having surrendered during the Batavian revolt under Julius Civilis (AD 70, it was disbanded but Vespasian later recruited a new legion, the XVI Flavia Firma.
