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LOT 0151
Roman Gold Ring with Nicolo Gemstone of a Bearded Bacchus as a Herm
1ST CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (5.90 grams, 22.20 mm overall, 16.36 x 13.99 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I, USA 4 1/4, Europe 7.44, Japan 7)).
The intaglio deeply carved to depict a profile of Bacchus, set within a closed-back bezel; the band formed as a triple-twisted rope with granules and beadwork upon the shoulders.
ProvenanceAcquired on the European art market.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13342-257959.
Cf. for a similar example, the British Museum, museum no.1869,0324.1; a closely related ring in the Aquincum Museum, Budapest, inventory no.51464.
FootnotesThe band formed as a triple-twisted rope with granules and beadwork upon the shoulders is typical of the 3rd to 4th Centuries AD. However, the image of the bearded Bacchus is still attached to the original Greek iconography, as visible on the Ermae of the classical period.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0151
Roman Gold Ring with Nicolo Gemstone of a Bearded Bacchus as a Herm
Estimate £3,500 - 4,500€4,060 - 5,220 (for guidance only)$4,730 - 6,080 (for guidance only)
Opening Bid
£1,750 (EUR 2,030; USD 2,363) +BP*
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Roman Bronze Figure of Hercules with Lion-Skin Headdress
2nd century B.C.Estimate: £700 - 900 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £350
Depicting Hercules in heroic nudity, standing with his legs slightly apart, the right leg set back and the left, slightly bent, advanced outward; his right arm raised, the forearm bent at a right angle, while the clenched hand originally held a club, now lost; the left arm extending forward and supporting the lion skin; the left hand, also clenched, probably held a further attribute; the stylised lion skin draped over the hero's head, terminating in two pointed flaps at either side, and fastened across the chest with the so-called 'Heracles knot', beneath which the forepaws of the lion are rendered with deeply incised claw; accompanied by a display stand. 443 grams total, 14 cm including stand
The surface retains a thick, undisturbed green patina. Minor losses are present and may plausibly be interpreted as the result of ritual damage in antiquity.
Acquired in Germany before 2000s. English private collection. Bertolami Fine Art, London, Auction 85, 14 December 2020, no.11. This lot has been checked against the Carabinieri Database of stolen works of art.
The sculpture reproduces the iconographic type of the charging Hercules, a motif widely attested in ancient Italy, particularly in the Umbro-Sabellian region, and ultimately derived from the Magna Graecia artistic tradition. The widespread adoption of this iconographic scheme, repeated with only minor variations, reflects the development of local cults dedicated to the hero, who was at times assimilated to indigenous deities. It has also been suggested that this type ultimately derives from a bronze original identified as the Herakles Alexikakos, attributed to the Argive sculptor Hageladas, active between the late 6th and early 5th century B.C. -
Roman Bone Gaming Die
Circa 1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £70 - 90 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Cuboid with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4. 1.58 grams, 9 mm
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection, 1990s. -
Late Roman Bronze Bracelet
5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £40 - 60 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £5
Penannular bracelet with keeled body and flared terminals, pointillé decoration. 20.1 grams, 61 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
