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LOT 0122
Roman Inscribed Orange Sardonyx Gemstone with Philosopher Seated Under a Tree
1ST CENTURY A.D.
1/2 in. (1.01 grams, 13 mm).
The oval stone engraved with an old man (a philosopher?) seated on a stone, wearing a low cap, half naked and with the cloak covering his leg; his right hand resting beside him, and his left hand raised in the act of speaking; a tree behind, inscription in Greek letters 'ψίω' (= eat).
ProvenanceAcquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
Important North West London collection.
See similar image of a seated philosopher in Provincia di Venezia, Piccolo mondo antico, la collezione glittica torcellana (Small Ancient World, the glyptic collection from Torcello, in Italian),, Venezia, 2014, p.39.
FootnotesA particularly recognisable representation in Graeco-Roman art was that of a male character, with a bald head and a slightly pointed beard, seated in profile on a simple seat or on a rock. It represents the philosopher, who often has his hand raised in the gesture of speaking or holds a volume in his hands, characterised according to the rules of cynicism, by the bare torso and the cloak that covers his legs. The inscription refers to the imperative to 'feed' on knowledge.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0122
Roman Inscribed Orange Sardonyx Gemstone with Philosopher Seated Under a Tree
Estimate £600 - 800€700 - 930 (for guidance only)$810 - 1,080 (for guidance only)
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Roman Terracotta Frieze Fragment with Bird
3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Showing the figure of a bird enclosed inside a medallion, with edges decorated with a foliage, moulded grooves in the upper part, remains of red pigment on the dividing space. 643 grams, 12.5 cm
Acquired from Millon Arts D'Orient, with lot sticker. Property of a Ruislip, UK, gentleman, by inheritance.
The motif of a bird enclosed in a roundel draws inspiration from Parthian and Sassanid art, and decorated the ceilings of Roman Hellenistic tombs and temples of the Roman East. Our fragment could have been part of the polychrome stucco decoration of the ceiling of a tomb, or a square insert in a temple building. It certainly had to be painted in showy colours, of which clear traces remain in the amaranth red on the right of the fragment and in the pink and blue traces visible on the bird. -
Roman Chalcedony Gemstone with Muse Euterpes
1st century A.D.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £444
The muse standing on a baseline with her head in profile, resting her left arm on a cithara, carrying a laurel branch in her extended right hand, the weight of the body resting on the right leg. 0.77 grams, 14 mm
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Important North West London collection.
The muse is Euterpe, the muse of music as well as lyrical poetry. The motif can be related to numerous representations of Apollo, in which he appears leaning on a column on which the lyre or tripod is placed. It is a serial representation, based on statuary prototypes, which were widely copied by Hellenistic-Roman artisans, where the figure of Apollo, here, is transformed in that of the muse of music. -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Serapis and Eagle Between Two Military Standards
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
The oval intaglio with bust of Serapis right, above an eagle with wings spread, two military signa to the sides. 0.87 grams, 17 mm
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Important North West London collection.
Often the intaglio gemstones were carved with an eagle between two standards. The left standard is topped with a capricorn genius legionis, and the right one with the hand of a signum manipularis. The presence of a capricorn could imply that the gemstone was dedicated to men of the Legio XIIII Martia Victrix.
