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LOT 1137
Roman Gemstone Collection
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D. OR LATER
1/8 - 3/4 in. (5 grams total, 7-20 mm).
Including standing winged figure, perching bird, advancing stag, sea-horse and other types; each supplied with a museum-quality impression. [10, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
LiteratureSee Richter, G.M.A., Catalogue of engraved gems of the classical style, New York, 1920, pl.52 nos.208-209, for a similar gemstone of Hippocampus.
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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LOT 1137
Roman Gemstone Collection
Estimate £100 - 140€120 - 160 (for guidance only)$140 - 190 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£5 (EUR 6; USD 7) +BP*
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Roman Eagle on Scale and Mosius Beside Cornucopia and Star Carnelian Gemstone
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Ellipsoid in plan with incuse design of a weighing balance and scale pans, perched eagle to one side and a cornucopia to the other, star above; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.52 grams, 13 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone of Hercules in Later Gold Ring
Circa 2nd century A.D. and laterEstimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £700
An oval intaglio engraved with the mature bearded profile head of Hercules, set within a substantial nineteenth-century gold ring. 13.21 grams, 26.27 mm overall, 20.34 x 20.81 mm internal diameter (approximate size British V, USA 10 1/2, Europe 23.77, Japan 22)
Acquired on the European art market. UK, private collection. -
'The Kenzo' Roman Marble Head of the Philosopher Hermarchus
Circa 1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £14,000 - 19,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £7,000
A finely carved marble portrait head of a middle-aged bearded male, possibly Hermarchus, with short, softly modelled wavy hair, deep-set and defined eyes, the lips almost hidden among the details of the beard; the facial expression appears stern but thoughtful, perhaps derived from the tradition of Roman Imperial portraiture; mounted on a custom-made stand. 2.34 kg total, 22.8 cm high including stand
Kenzo collection, the late fashion designer, acquired in the early 1980s. Ex French private collection. Charles Ede, 12 June 2008. 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 search certificate no.13436-262427.
The philosopher represented here must have been very important, and it can be assumed we can recognise one of the valuable copies, known in different variants, of the portrait of Hermarchus, successor of Epicurus at the head of the Epicurean School, who lived at Mytilene between 325 and 250 B.C., for its similarity with the portrait of the same philosopher at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (inv. no.2689).
