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LOT 0713
Roman Enamelled Bronze Bow Brooch
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
1 3/8 in. (6.17 grams, 36 mm).
Dolphin-type T-shaped bow brooch with tapering crossbar, bow ornamented with segmentation to the obverse and enamel fill; trumpet-shaped lobe finial; catch and hinged pin to reverse. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound near North Ripon, Yorkshire, UK.
Acquired on the UK art market.
Property of a Lancashire, UK, collector.
Cf. Heynowski, R., Bestimmungsbuch Archaeologie: Fibeln, Munich, 2012, item 3.29.2, 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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Roman Bronze Triple-Horse Brooch
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
Bow brooch formed as a horse with a second horse-head to the tail, third opposing horse head forming the catch, the hind legs extending to a T-shaped bar for the hinged pin. 16.79 grams, 34 mm
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Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
3rd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
A mixed group of ceramic bullae, tesserae or theatre tokens bearing low-relief motifs, mainly consisting of profile busts of deities. 37 grams total, 14-23 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The term 'tessera' was used in Roman times to convey the Greek term σύμβολον (token). Small tiles are known as tokens, often shaped like coins, made of metal (copper, lead, iron), clay, bone, wood, or glass, stamped as well as engraved. The tokens, however, are not exclusively coin-shaped, as the Latin term 'tessera' refers to a four-sided shape. Tokens and tesserae seem to have been used both in Athens and Rome for the distribution of goods. According to written sources, the term ‘token’ is identified with credentials of the official authorities. They have also been interpreted as tokens of identity, as entrance tickets to theatre performances, tribunals or assemblies of citizens, archival material of seal engraving, as pawns in games, Charon’s obols and even as amulets.
