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LOT 0757
Roman Mosaic Stone Tesserae Group
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
1/4 - 1/2 in. (350 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.
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 Bronze Stylus with Eraser
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
Round-section tapering body with a rectangular eraser to the terminal. 5.78 grams, 11.6 cm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Bronze Artefact Group
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £39
Comprising two zoomorphic lids, a phallic pendant, and a fragment of a hand grasping a phallus. 32.2 grams total, 22-29 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Roman Decorated Mould Blown Glass Amphoriskos
Circa 1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Comprising a biconvex body with ellipsoid base, short neck with everted rim and strap handle; the body facetted, with concentric rings to the central panel on each side; mounted on a custom-made stand. 82 grams total, 95 mm including stand
From an important collection of glass, London, UK, 1990s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12960-246379.
The word amphoriskos, Greek for 'small amphora', refers in the Graeco-Roman world to the shape of the object, a miniature version of the two-handled metal or ceramic vessels that contained oil or wine. Core-formed glass was made by dipping a removable core that gives the vessel its shape into a molten glass mixture.
