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LOT 0098
Roman Gold Ring with Vessel Gemstone
CIRCA 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (5.88 grams, 24.02 mm overall, 19.60 mm internal diameter (approximate size British S, USA 9, Europe 20, Japan 19)).
With facetted hoop, ellipsoid cell to the bezel with inset carnelian gemstone, intaglio image of a kantharos; accompanied by a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the collection of a Surrey gentleman; acquired 1970-1980.
LiteratureCf. Ruseva-Slokoska, L., Roman Jewellery, Sofia, 1991, item 183, for type; see for the iconography Furtwängler, A., Die antiken Gemmen: Geschichte der Steinschneidekunst im Klassischen Altertum, Leipzig and Berlin, 1900, pl.XXXI,14.
FootnotesFrom the middle of the 3rd century AD, gem production in the Roman Empire declined rapidly. At the same time the first Christian motifs began to be visible on the rings.
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 Bronze Key
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
With tubular shank and rectangular-section neck, crescentic bow; repaired. 37 grams, 73 mm
From the collection of a Buckinghamshire, UK, collector established from the earlier 1960s. -
Romano-British Bronze Wing and Fanbow Brooch
Circa 40-55 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
With two triangular on each side of the ribbed bow, inked collector's number '3318' beneath one of the wings. 7.7 grams, 33 mm
Found Norfolk, UK. From a Kent collection formed in the 1990s. -
Large Eastern Roman Green Glass Bottle with Iridescence
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Piriform in profile with a narrow neck and flared mouth with a chamfered rim, dimple base. 945 grams, 29.5 cm high
From the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès private collection. with Artcurial, Paris, 25 March 2014, no.39. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12959-245241.
On ancient glass, iridescence is the soft play of colour that develops as the surface ages and becomes silica-rich. Minute layers form over time and break light into shifting blues, greens and golds. It is not a modern finish but something time has drawn out of the material itself, so the pattern and palette are unique to each piece. Collectors prize good, stable iridescence because it lifts the form: ribs read more crisply, profiles glow, and simple vessels take on depth and movement. Museums now tend to preserve these surfaces rather than polish them away, recognising both their beauty and what they tell us about an object’s long life (though it is not, by itself, a dating test). For display, iridescent glass performs brilliantly under gentle, directional light, where the colours “turn” as the vessel is moved. Well-preserved, even iridescence of this quality is not common and adds materially to the presence and desirability of the piece.
