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LOT 0151
Roman Gold Ring with Nicolo Gemstone of a Bearded Bacchus as a Herm
1ST CENTURY A.D. RING: 3RD-4TH 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 remains attached to the original Greek iconography, as seen on the Ermae of the classical period.
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 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)
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Large Roman Blue Glass Toilet Bottle
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
With a piriform body with a dimple base, a long tubular neck with an everted rim. 194 grams, 18.2 cm
From an important London, UK, collection 1980-2020.
The toilet bottle corresponds to the Isling Form 28a or Vessberg flask type A.III.a. The transparent greyish green glass suggests that the object belongs to the Hayes' fabric 2 of Cypriot blown glass. -
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Roman Sapphire Gemstone with Crescent Moon and Star
Third quarter of 1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,980
Cushion-shaped greenish-blue intaglio engraved with a large crescent moon and star. 1.05 grams, 10 mm
Formerly in a private collection of an European lady, 1970s-1980s. Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13305-257800.
Basaltic sapphires used by the Romans came from surface deposits in northern Ethiopia, which were already known and productive in ancient times. This hypothesis is supported by comments by Pliny the Elder (23–79 A.D.) and Solinus (early 3rd century A.D.), both of whom referred to gems from Ethiopia named ‘hyacintos’, which is generally accepted in archaeology to be the ancient name of sapphire. The moon and stars have been, since the 4th century BC, symbols of the city of Byzantium and were also linked with Spartan military culture. -
Roman to Medieval Bronze Ring Group
1st-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Comprising: a large ring with a lentoid bezel bearing four ring-and-dot motifs; a slender ring with a rectangular bezel with five ring-and-dot motifs; a ring with a rectangular bezel with traces of niello; a ring with angled shoulders and a circular bezel with a Greek inscription; a slender ring with a circular ring set with a round cabochon; a flat-section ring with grooved circumferential lines; a ring with angled shoulders; a ring with keeled hoop and a lentoid bezel; a ring with keeled hoop and lentoid bezel with linear motifs. 30.3 grams total, 15-25 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
