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LOT 1061
Roman Double Dolphin Handle
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
4 3/4 in. (59 grams, 12 cm).
Formed as two opposed dolphins with s-curved bodies terminating in vine leaves, vesica held between their open mouths; plano-convex in section with openwork.
ProvenanceFrom an old English collection formed since 1960.
LiteratureCf. Appels, A. & Laycock, S., Roman Buckles and Military Fittings, Witham, 2007, item AA.4.8, for type.
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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1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £26
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From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Romano-Egyptian Terracotta Figure of a Slave with Fruit Basket
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £221
Hollow-formed figure of a servant with grotesque facial features, pointed cap and a short tunic, carrying a pouch in the right hand and shoulders an overflowing fruit basket on the left; a large recess between his legs may be for the insertion of an oversized model phallus; pierced lug to rear of neck for suspension. 286 grams, 17.5 cm
Acquired from Galerie Puhze, Freiburg, between 2002 and 2010. From the collection of R. L., Lower Saxony. Ex Gorny & Mosch, auction 300, Munich, no.75. Accompanied by a certificate from Galerie Günter Puhze and a German export licence.
Grotesque and exaggerated figurines were produced in late Hellenistic times, especially in Alexandria. The artisans, fascinated with realism, started to reproduce scenes and figures from daily life, and seemed to have a preference for emphasis on ill and deformed persons. The characters with caricature features are usually referred to as grotesques. -
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2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
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From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
