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LOT 0956
Roman Mosaic Stone Tesserae Group
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
1/4 - 1/2 in. (340 grams total, 7-14 mm).
A mixed group of two hundred and fifty single tesserae of various colours and sizes, mostly cuboid. [250, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000.
From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
For similar tesserae see Gabucci, A., Pejrani Baricco, L., Ratto, S., Per il Museo di Ivrea, La sezione archeologica del Museo Civico P.A. Garda, Sesto Fiorentino, 2014, cover, mosaic from a Domus of Eporedia.
FootnotesRoman mosaics were made from small cubes of natural stone and terracotta possibly cut from tile or brick. Each of these small cubes was called a tessera (plural tesserae) from the Latin word for dice.
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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Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Slave Holding an Amphora
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Discoid in plan with broad D-shaped nozzle, loop handle, discus with low-relief image of a servus wearing a kilt supporting an amphora; maker's mark to underside '[....]VST'. 84 grams, 10.8 cm
From the private collection of a Canadian gentleman living in Essex, UK, formed since the 1920s-circa 1990. Property of an Essex lady until the late 1990s; thence by descent. From the private collection of an Essex gentleman since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The lamp belongs to the Bussière type, form D I 3, from a period between the Late Flavian era to the second half of the second century A.D. -
Roman Decorated Bronze Vessel Lid Group
3rd-4th century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Each a domed disc with central depression, concentric tendril bands and leaf motifs to shoulder, hinge lugs. 765 grams total, 11.2-11.6 cm wide
Acquired on the European art market in the early 2000s. with Galerie Rhéa, Zurich, Switzerland. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Ochre Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £13
Composed mainly of long tubular beads; restrung. 9.16 grams, 42 cm
From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In the Roman period there was a strong formal and chromatic diversity of glass beads used for necklaces and bracelets. The most common beads in forms were small biconical (lenticular), barrel-shaped, spherical and annular; the most common colours were dark blue, followed by green and yellow. The succession of glass beads often imitates jewellery made of costly materials (gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones).
