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LOT 0562
Roman Fresco Wall Plaster Collection
1ST CENTURY A.D.
2 5/8 - 4 7/8 in. (786 grams total, 6.7-12.5 cm).
Fragments of wall plaster with rendered surface painted with mainly Pompeii red, pale blue, cream and white detailing; some with an impression of timber laths to the reverse. [5, No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired in the 19th century.
Ex Jeger collection, Switzerland.
UK gallery, early 2000s.
Cf. Hakanen, V., 'VI Wall Plaster Fragments' in Berg, R., Kuivalainen, I., Domus Pompeiana M. Lucretii, IX,3, 5.24, The inscriptions, Works of Art and Finds from the Old and New Excavations, Vantaa, 2019, pp.196-224, figs.3-4.
FootnotesThese 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. A red grenade fillet probably framed some panels. A fragment shows alternate blue and red colours over a cream background, maybe pertinent to a socle.
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 Hanging Oil Lamp
6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Bulbous body with curving nozzle and a raised filler hole flanking the suspension loop, the body with raised decoration and three stub legs, possibly depicting a hedgehog. 118 grams, 81 mm
From the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the mid 1980s. -
Roman Black Glass and Other Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £59
Composed mainly of small oblate beads interspersed with larger oblate beads, the central feature composed of four large beads; restrung. 8.7 grams, 32.2 cm
Acquired in the 1990s. Ex London, UK, collection. -
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Roman Sapphire Cameo with Bust of Serapis Later Converted to Saint John the Evangelist
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D., reworked 6th-7th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,800
Carved in the half-round on a sapphire crystal showing striations on the reverse, depicting the upper body of Serapis/St John with modius and pleated tunic, eagle with spread wings placed on the chest. 5.06 grams, 23 mm
Acquired circa 1980. Property of a Middlesex gentleman. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13351-255640.
This is a prime example of late antique or early medieval spolia, where a pagan motif was converted into a Christian one with minimal mental or manual adaptation into a visual fusion of Serapis and Saint John. During the Roman Empire, especially in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, depictions of the 'bust of the God Serapis standing on an eagle' were extremely popular. The eagle symbolised Jupiter-Serapis, as well as Roman power. When the Empire became Christian, this combination was immediately recognised as the Evangelist John, accompanied by his symbol, the eagle. The modius (kalathos) symbolised fertility and dominion over the underworld when placed on Serapis's head. However, it was often incorrectly (or deliberately) interpreted by Christian observers as an early form of a crown, halo, or priestly headdress. As sapphire is extremely difficult to work with, the modius was often left standing, emphasising the figure's imperial or divine dignity. There are documented cases of this kind. Most famous example: 'Gem of Serapis' (Cab. Méd., Paris), or the reinterpretation of depictions of Jupiter as God the Father. During the Christianisation process, pagan gods with beards and eagles (Jupiter/Serapis) were reclassified as John the Evangelist or Christ himself en masse.
