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LOT 0044
Roman Lapis Lazuli Gnostic Gemstone with Aphrodite Anadyomene
4TH-5TH CENTURY A.D.
5/8 in. (1.38 grams, 17 mm).
Ellipsoid in plan with enigmatic Greek legend 'BPE/IMW' to underside, facing figure of Aphrodite Anadyomene to obverse on baseline with Greek legend 'APE IAP', possibly an abbreviation for ΑΡ[ΌΡΙΦ]ΡΑ[Σ]Ι[Σ].
ProvenancePrivate collection, acquired on the German art market in 1993; thence by descent.
LiteratureCf. Faraone, C.A., 'Text, Image and Medium, The Evolution of the Graeco-Roman Magical Gemstones' in Entwistle, C., Adams, N., Gems of Heaven, recent research on engraved Gemstones in Late Antiquity, c. AD 200-600, London, 2011, pp.50-61, pls.11-12, for similar gemstones.
FootnotesThe gemstone belongs to a series of blue gemstones, usually of lapis lazuli or blue glass, showing the famous image of Aphrodite Anadyomene ('rising from the sea'). In some of these gemstones, we find the magical word arôriphrasis, which transliterates an Egyptian title of the goddess Hathor as 'The Lady of the Blue Stone'. Since Hathor and Aphrodite were assimilated in Graeco-Roman Egypt, there is some logic to the appearance of the name and Aphrodite on these stones.
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LOT 0044
Roman Lapis Lazuli Gnostic Gemstone with Aphrodite Anadyomene
Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
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Roman Marble Head of a Veiled Goddess
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,680
With a palla drawn up over her hair, stepped at the rear to indicate a chignon; soft, youthful facial features with fleshy cheeks and a rounded jawline; mounted on a custom-made stand. 1.47 kg total, 18.5 cm including stand
with Gorny & Mosch, Munich, 21 June 2005, no.344. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Gorny & Mosch catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13198-250132.
The head comes from a statue that most likely represented a matronly deity, Demeter or Hestia/Vesta, the goddess protector of the home hearth. The latter seems the most likely, as she was usually depicted (as in the Hestia Iustiniani, a prototype often replicated in the Roman era) with a covered head (velato capite), a symbol of modesty and marital virtue for the Roman matron. -
Late Roman Bronze Ring with Bust
5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
Substantial hoop with a raised rectangular bezel bearing a profile bust facing left, flanking inscription '+VI[R]TVS' (Value) 8.85 grams, 29.60 mm overall, 17.30 x 20.72 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O, USA 7, Europe 14.98, Japan 14)
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
The ring seems to underline military virtue (virtus), and it can be assumed that it was given as a gift to a soldier for an act of courage, or as a reward for an undertaking of a certain value. The bust could represent an imperial figure. -
Roman Bronze Three-Dimensional Vessel Mount
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Comprising a plaque of three conjoined lobes with segmented border; at the top, a loop with segmented rim; vignette with a nude male with shoulder-length hair embracing a taller bearded figure with kilt and mantle to left shoulder (Hercules?); below, a satyr with horns and goat's legs beset by hunting dogs. 286 grams, 13.8 cm
Acquired in 1992. Private collection, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12865-241702.
Vessel mounts of this form are not a commonly recovered artefact type, and the presence of two figures instead of one is a very singular feature. We can presume that the mount was attached to a vessel of large dimensions and of a certain importance.
