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LOT 0712
Roman Gold Hercules Club Pendant
4TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (1.25 grams, 24 mm).
Hollow-form pendant with applied granules and wire decoration.
ProvenanceEx London, UK, gentleman's collection, 1980-1990s.
LiteratureCf. similar item in the British Museum, London, accession number 1981,0201.29, In Johns, C.M., Potter, T., The Thetford Treasure. Roman Jewellery and Silver, London, 1983, no.29.
FootnotesThe object finds a good parallel with a pendant of the same shape forming part of a remarkable hoard of late-Roman gold jewellery and silver tableware found near Thetford, Norfolk, in 1979. The jewellery included necklaces and clasps, five pendants, and four bracelets. One pendant takes the shape of a Hercules club, a design often used for earrings.
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 Marble Head of Eros, the Greek God of Love
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,000
Carved in the half-round with undercuts to the curly hair, fleshy facial features; attachment ring to reverse. 2.02 kg, 17.5 cm
Acquired on the French art market, 13 November 2022. Private collection, England. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13086-249672.
The finely sculpted head represents a young child, probably intended as Eros (Cupid). Such depictions were produced in numerous variations to illustrate the stages of childhood and the capacity of children to undertake meaningful or symbolic actions. The softly modelled features and gentle expression recall the celebrated work of Boethos', The Boy Strangling the Goose, as well as the widespread images of Eros and the Erotes found throughout Graeco-Roman sculpture and painting. In Graeco-Roman art, representations of children occupied an important and evolving role. Initially, youthful figures were portrayed as miniature adults, but from the 4th century BC onwards - particularly during the Hellenistic and Roman periods - artists began to study children’s anatomy more closely, reproducing their characteristic proportions and expressions with naturalistic sensitivity. The figure of Eros, the constant companion of Aphrodite, became the quintessential model of the child in ancient art, identifiable by his traditional attributes of wings and bow. As evidenced by numerous statuettes and wall paintings unearthed at Pompeii, scenes of childhood were among the most popular subjects for adorning the gardens and interiors of wealthy Roman villas. These figures appear in lively and varied activities - playing, working, performing, or interacting with animals such as birds, hares, and dolphins - celebrating both the charm and vitality of early life within an idealised artistic vision. -
Roman Aubergine Glass Bottle
1st century B.C-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £338
With bulbous body, tubular neck, broad everted rim; extensive iridescence. 10.6 grams, 70 mm
From an important London collection of glass, 1990s.
Similar bottles were found in the Cemetery of Ein-Gedi in the Judaean Desert, in a settlement abandoned in 40-37 B.C, and in Homs, Syria, dated to the first half of the first century A.D. These are among the first earliest datable blown bottles. -
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Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Eros, the Greek God of Love Holding a Theatrical Mask
1st century A.D.Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £2,000
Plano-convex in section with intaglio scene: a small winged character stands beneath a large theatrical mask, supporting it on his shoulders; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.8 grams, 17 mm
Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, England. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13118-249633.
The young Eros appears with his face inside the wide-open mouth of the mask, looking out as a spectator. The mask is held in his small hands and is characterised by a thick beard, large orbital cavities, and short hair with ribbons. He is depicted in three-quarters seen from behind, engraved and polished with great skill. The stone has a convex surface with traces of ancient burning at the bottom and slight wear marks.
