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LOT 0839
Roman Glass Phallic Amulet
1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
1 1/4 in. (11.4 grams, 32 mm).
Modelled in the round with applied red-glass collar, pierced through the shaft for suspension.
ProvenanceAcquired in the mid 1980s-1990s.
Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent.
Private collection, since the late 1990s.
See Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 425, for type, but in bronze; for a similar ceramic phallus-amulet see Devlova, P., Manova, R., Rangelov, B., Avdeev, G., ‘Interdisciplinary Studies of a phallus-shaped jewellery from Apollonia Pontica, Bulgaria,’ in Acta Musei Tiberiopolitani, vol.5, Strumica, 2024, pp.98-109, fig.2.
FootnotesIn the Roman world, the phallus was a symbol of luck or fertility, and it was believed to have apotropaic functions. Pendants, amulets and small objects were worn by all sorts of people as symbols of protection, especially by young children, according to Varro and Pliny the Elder. The phallus is also commonly found on reliefs, frescoes and lamps from the Graeco-Roman world.
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Broad hoop with an oval jasper gemstone with perching eagle on a frond or wreath. 3.92 grams, 18.78 mm overall, 15.66 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G 1/2, USA 3 1/2, Europe 5.55, Japan 5)
Property of a European gentleman, acquired from the estate of a London collector (formed before 2000). -
Roman Ribbed Glass Vessel
3rd century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
The body with fine ribs and a dimpled base, a carinated shoulder and a funicular neck with a raised collar below the rim. 98.3 grams, 13.1 cm
From an important London, UK, collection 1980-2020.
The vessel likely originates from a Syrian or Palestinian workshop, characterised by a neck shape featuring a collar and a yellow glass tint. The vessel's form establishes an upper chronological limit of the mid-3rd century AD, while the relatively high quality of the glass precludes dating it any later than the end of that century. -
Roman Black Glass Juglet Pendant
1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £50
Modelled as a miniature juglet with a bulbous body and a strap handle, pierced longitudinally. 5.56 grams, 21 mm
Ex the private collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK, 1970s-2000s. Accompanied by a previously illustrated catalogue card with provenance.
