Loading, please wait...
LOT 0556
Roman Iron Knife with Bone Handle
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
6 7/8 in. (38.1 grams, 17.5 cm).
With single-edged blade gently curving towards the tip; applied bone handle with diagonally striated banding. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound near Wetwang, East Yorkshire, UK.
Acquired from the finder in 2007.
Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.
Cf. Crummy, N., Greep, S., Hassall, M., Henig, M., Major, H., Webster, G., Wild, J.P., Colchester Archaeological Report 2: the Roman small finds from excavations in Colchester 1971-1979, Colchester, 1983, nos.2935 (handle) and 2974 (knife).
FootnotesTools which cannot be assigned to one of the more specific categories, such as agricultural or military equipment especially knife blades, tool handles, and hones. Three methods of attaching a handle to the tang of a knife or tool are distinguishable in the Roman culter. Rivetting was used on two-piece handles (like in our specimen). Driving the tang into the marrow-cavity of the bone, which was usually packed with wood-shavings, so that the irregularities of cancellous tissue and the wood-shavings prevented the tang from twisting or slipping out (often a collar was also used with this method). Lastly, the tang could be fixed to the handle by means of an iron clip.
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.
-
.jpg)
Roman Marbled Amber Glass Vase
4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £585
Of squat carinated form, slender tapering neck with everted rim, decorative white marbling over the body. 47 grams, 85 mm high
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private collection since 1998. -
Large Romano-British 'Published' Enamelled Bronze Head Stud Bow Brooch
Late 1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
The head of the brooch with rectangular wings with concave reverse housing the spring, a separate hinged pin fitted around the axis bar, an integral rectangular bow with a circular aperture at the apex and a central column of rectangular green/blue and red enamel cells. 33.39 grams, 60 mm
Found whilst searching with a metal detector near Conistone with Kilnsey, North Yorkshire, UK, circa 2018. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.YORYM-366098. -
.jpg)
Roman Bronze Plaque with Eros on Lion
Circa 2nd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Modelled in relief with openwork elements, stylised detailing to both figures; hollow reverse. 182 grams, 10.2 cm high
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
Hollow cast bronze images of Eros riding a lion are linked to the Eastern Levant and have been found for example in Tamna, probably a Roman import. The importance of long-distance contacts within the Eastern Mediterranean areas was rapidly reflected in provincial artistic styles, probably as soon as in Hellenistic times, at the beginning of the third century B.C., possibly even earlier. The unquestionable Greek influence led a number of scholars to define three main styles for the bronzes discovered in the eastern Roman provinces: a local type and iconography locally produced, Greek or Roman imports, and Oriental, Hellenistic, or Roman style, locally produced.
