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LOT 0763
Roman Gemstone Collection
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
1/4 - 5/8 in. (2.66 grams total, 7-16 mm).
Mixed group including a standing female, a perching bird and others; each supplied with a museum-quality impression. [5]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
LiteratureCf. for similar gemstones Hoppal, K., 'Roman engraved gems from Southeast Asia' in Bartus D. (ed.), Dissertationes Archaeologicae ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eotvos nominatae, Ser.3 No.9, Budapest, 2021, figs.1,2; 1,5; 2,2 and 2,5.
FootnotesTwo of the gemstones in this collection show cockerels. The motif of fighting or individual cockerels was very popular in the classical world, and individual cockerels (the animal often associated with gods, such as Mercury or Sol/Helios) were also often depicted in a standing position. Another gemstone appears to represent a nude figure of Dionysos/Bacchus draped in a long cloak, and another shows Helios with a radiate crown.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0763
Roman Gemstone Collection
Estimate £380 - 480€440 - 560 (for guidance only)$510 - 650 (for guidance only)
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Roman Iridescent Glass Cosmetic Flask with Spiral Trail
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Bulbous body with long funicular neck and everted rim, applied strap handles to the top, applied spiral decoration to the body. 14.6 grams, 76 mm
Ex London gallery, UK, 1986. Ex private UK collection.
Small cosmetic flasks with tubular bodies, conical feet and trailed decoration were a common product of the Syro-Palestinian workshops in the Eastern Roman Empire, during the 4th-5th century A.D. Many such vessels had elaborate basket-handles, from which they could be suspended. -
Roman Sard Gemstone with a Maenad Mask
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
With intaglio profile bust of a woman facing left; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.49 grams, 11 mm
Private English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s. Private collection, London, UK. -
Roman Gold Ring with Dolphins Supporting Beads
1st century A.D.Estimate: £1,000 - 1,400 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £500
D-section hoop with shoulders formed as addorsed dolphins, the tails pierced to accept a wire with three glass seed beads. 4.24 grams, 26.14 mm overall, 15.47 x 16.96 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, gentleman's collection, 1980-1990s.
