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LOT 0107
Roman Gold Ring with Amethyst Gemstone with Mercury and Bacchus
1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (16.40 grams, 24.07 mm overall, 17.91 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M, USA 6, Europe 12.46, Japan 12)).
With stepped shoulders and ellipsoid bezel open to the underside, replaced hoop, inset amethyst intaglio depicting Mercury giving the infant Bacchus to the Nymphs; stone broken.
ProvenanceAcquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
Thence by descent.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12108-212230.
Cf. Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, items 349, 350, for type.
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 0107
Roman Gold Ring with Amethyst Gemstone with Mercury and Bacchus
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
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Roman Bronze Putto Statuette
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £312
Modelled in the round reclining with weight on the left arm, left leg drawn up, head turned. 26 grams, 37 mm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. -
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Erotic Scene
Circa 2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,950
Squat burnished pottery lamp with stub nozzle, high-relief scene of two lovers on a couch; maker's mark 'LMVNSVC' to the underside. 64 grams, 95 mm
From the collection of French archaeologist Suzanne Gozlan (1921-2022).
The lamp belongs to the Bailey type B group ii (Loeschke type IV), usually dated from Tiberian to Trajanic times. Erotic lamps were particularly popular before the Christianisation of the Roman Empire. Roman sexuality differed considerably from later Christian European attitudes. Roman religion promoted sexuality as one of the fundamental aspects of prosperity for the entire state; individuals could turn to private religious practice, or even magic, to improve their erotic life or health and reproductive capacity; moreover, prostitution in ancient Rome was legal, public and widespread. Artistic subjects that today we would define without hesitation as pornography, were present among the art collections of the most respectable and high status Roman families. -
Roman Bronze Phallic Pendant
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
A phallic amulet with loop to the rear. 6.53 grams, 25 mm
Found near Bainton, East Riding of Yorkshire, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.YORYM-051F22.
