Loading, please wait...
LOT 0840
Roman Marble Eagle Head
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
9 in. (1.88 kg total, 23 cm high including stand).
Carved facing left, with deep-set hooded eyes and a hooked beak, stylised feather detailing to the head; mounted on a custom-made display base.
ProvenanceEx Simmons Gallery, London E11, UK.
Ex London collection, 1980s-1990s.
Cf. for a similar colossal marble eagle Bell, G.L., Amurath to Amurath, London, 1911, fig.3, p.10; Mendel, G., Catalogue des sculptures grecques, romaines et byzantines, Constantinople, 1914, nos.1135 (1949), vol.III, p.369; Reinach, S., Répertoire de la statuaire grecque et romaine, Tome III, 1920; Bertelli, G., ‘Amari usque ad mare, Acceptus e magister David a Siponto: nuove acquisizioni’, in Eurasiatica 4, 2016, Università degli Studi di Bari “Aldo Moro”, p. 67, fig. 6.
FootnotesIn the Greco-Roman world, the eagle was the symbol of Zeus. It is most probable that this eagle flanked a statue of the god. A story is bruited abroad to the effect that Zeus, wanting to determine the centre of the world, let eagles fly of equal speed from west and east. The birds, flying in opposite directions, met at Pytho and that marked the central point of the whole world.
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.
-
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Farmer and Oxen
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
The oval intaglio engraved with a man driving a pair of oxen with plough to left, a detailed tree with branches in the background, ground line under the oxen. 0.38 grams, 10 mm
Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Important North West London collection.
The gem could refer to the Augustan program of restoration of peace and security in the empire, after the agitated period of civil wars, with the possibility for men to return peacefully to their lands in a now peaceful empire. However, we cannot exclude that the image also refers to the well-known episode of Greek mythology, when Odysseus, to escape the call to arms in Troy, feigned madness by ploughing the fields without interruption, until he was unmasked by Palamedes, cousin of Agamemnon, who placed Odysseus' infant son Telemachus in front of the plough, forcing Odysseus to stop and reveal feigned insanity. -
Roman Gold and Garnet Pendant
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
The gold circular setting inlaid with a polished garnet cabochon, suspension loop above and decorative knop below. 0.18 grams, 8 mm
From a late Japanese specialist collector, 1970-2000s. -
Silver Ring Group
Roman, 1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £715
One with expanded shoulders and bezel inscribed with text in a roundel; an oval bezel engraved with a figural scene; a 'twin' bezel composed of two elliptical plaques, each bearing inscribed letters. 8.68 grams total, 17-19 mm
Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a Ruislip, UK, gentleman, by inheritance.
