Loading, please wait...
LOT 0156
Roman Gold 'Talismanic' Ring with Inscriptions
3RD-4TH CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (3.80 grams, 18.19 mm overall, 14.94 mm internal diameter (approximate size British F, USA 2 3/4, Europe 3.67, Japan 3)).
Comprising chamfered sloped shoulders and ellipsoid bezel; engraved with later blundered Latin legends in capitals: left shoulder - ‘REBET ?IA SESTE’ (It is rebated), bezel - ‘VIVAS CVM CAECI’ (Live with Caecus), right shoulder - ‘CAFELIX ET CVM RTIO’ (Safe and comfortable).
ProvenancePrivate collection, Europe.
Acquired on the English art market.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13044-248372.
Cf. similar example in Chadour, A.B., Rings. The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume I, Leeds, 1994, item 319, for type.
FootnotesThe ring is extensively engraved with the following Latin words and approximate translations: Left shoulder - ‘REBET ?IA SESTE’ - It is rebated. Bezel - ‘VIVAS CVM CAECI’ - Live with Caecus. Right shoulder - ‘CAFELIX ET CVM RTIO’ - Safe and comfortable. The Latin expression can be understood as part of a personal protective message.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0156
Roman Gold 'Talismanic' Ring with Inscriptions
Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,200
-
Roman Gemstone Collection
1st-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £380 - 480 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £210
Including advancing lion, perching bird and other types; each supplied with a museum-quality impression. 3.82 grams total, 7-19 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
One of the gemstones is certainly pertinent to a military ring, representing an eagle among two signa (standards). Both shafts are decorated with multiple phalerae and lunulae. -
Roman Bronze Head of a Grotesque Dwarf
Alexandria, 1st century A.D.Estimate: £1,800 - 2,400 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Hollow-formed 'moneybox' with exaggerated nose and lips, small crescent-and-pellet ears, low-relief eyes with impressed pupils, small lock of hair to the scalp, vesica-shaped socket to the underside; pierced at the scalp and at the right ear. 67 grams, 48 mm
with Artemis Gallery, Munich, before 1998. Acquired by the present owner from the above in 2003. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12212-222320.
Such small bronzes with physical abnormalities and exaggerated features served as entertainment, but also had the function of warding off evil. -
Roman and Earlier Miniature Statue Collection
1st-3rd century A.D. and earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £104
Including standing figure in fringed cloak and other types. 21.8 grams total, 22-39 mm
Acquired on the European art market. Private collection, England.
