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LOT 0602
Roman Historic Cut & Polished Porphyry Slice Group
1ST-5TH CENTURY A.D. AND LATER
2 1/4 - 4 3/4 in. (81 grams total, 5.8-12.2 cm).
Comprising three lacquered porphyry slices of rectangular shape, cut on both faces and polished on one face; probably from recycled material mined in ancient Roman times between the 1st and 5th century A.D.; intended for use as inlay panels. [3]
ProvenanceFrom Egypt.
Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK.
Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's).
Mons Porphyrites (today Jabal Abu Dukhkhan) is the mountainous site of a group of ancient quarries in the Red Sea Hills of the inhospitable eastern desert in Egypt, a five day trip from the Nile during Roman times. They were discovered by Caius Cominus Leugas in 18 A.D., and during the Roman Empire the mines officially belonged to the emperor and were the only known source of the Imperial Porphyry, Mons Porphyrites. This dark purple stone was associated with royalty and used for prestigious sculpture and architecture. The location of the mines was lost some time in the 5th century, and rediscovered in the early 19th century. Excavations in the area have revealed the well-preserved quarries and the dwelling places of the quarry men, and also thousands of ostraca have been discovered containing messages that provide details of how the quarrying took place, and of how the highly skilled quarrymen ordered their food.
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 0602
Roman Historic Cut & Polished Porphyry Slice Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
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Very Large Roman Bronze Oil Lamp with Actor's Mask
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £5,720
With an elongated body and a long nozzle with a rounded tip; raised rim enclosing the upper face with an ivy lef-shaped filling hole; wide handle terminating to a female tragic mask with a palmette below the chin, the hair dressed in ringlets with two rows of curls to the brow, eyes inlaid with silver; accompanied by a custom-made display stand. 1.97 kg, 28 cm wide (4.31 kg total, 27.5 cm high including stand)
Old private British collection, pre-1965. Property of a gentleman; acquired in the UK before 2000. Accompanied by a copy of an old black and white photograph and an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12033-215424.
The lamp is of Loeschke type XX (Walters type 6), with many of these lamps made in Italy, but some are also found in the East. The tragic mask appears frequently on lamp handles, probably as an apotropaic subject. The mask was an inseparable element of unity with the past and religious context. -
Roman and Other Bead Necklace
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £104
Restrung designer necklace with oblate, tubular and other beads, with an Indian furnace-wound swirled bead at the centre. 17.6 grams, 42 cm
Acquired on the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. Ex London, UK, gallery. -
Roman Bronze Plate Brooch
2nd century A.D.Estimate: £600 - 800 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £300
Comprising a discoid plaque and hinged S-curved pin to the reverse, the obverse with a millefiori glass insert. 5.61 grams, 24 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of Mr S.A., Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection since the late 1990s.
