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LOT 0609
Roman 'Pompeii Red' Fresco Wallplaster
1ST CENTURY A.D.
4 1/2 in. (234 grams, 11.3 cm).
Fragment of wall plaster with rendered surface painted red with yellow and white detailing to the edge; impression of timber laths to the reverse; old inked inscription: 'SIDI BOU ALI' to verso. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired early 1900s.
Swiss family collection.
Acquired at Birmingham Coin & Antiquities Fair, circa 2004.
Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK.
Cf. Boislève, J., Dardenay, A., Monier, F., Peintures et stucs d’époque romaine. Révéler l’architecture par l’étude du décor, Paris, 2014, fig.6, for similar.
FootnotesThe ancient city of Sousse (today Sidi Bou Ali) was the Roman centre of Ulssipira, famous for its wonderful mosaics. However, as across Roman Tunisia, remains of frescoed houses have also been preserved. The ‘Pompeian red’ was used for walls as well as columns, such as those in the ‘house of the red columns’, Acholla, where the peristyle was formed by a narrow courtyard with stuccoed columns painted red.
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 and Other Bead Necklace
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £78
Restrung designer necklace composed of stone and glass beads of tubular, biconvex, polyhedral and other types, large biconvex bead as centrepiece. 19 grams, 38 cm
Acquired on the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. Ex London, UK, gallery. -
Roman Bronze Statuette of the Goddess Eos
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
Modelled in the round, Eos (The Dawn) standing nude with left leg slightly flexed; the head with finely detailed face and hair dressed in a chignon; spread wings to the rear with feather detailing; left arm bent and hand resting on the hip with mantle wound about the shoulder and wrist; right arm extended and hand modelled open to accept an attribute; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 150 grams total, 11.2 cm including stand
From 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.
Eos, the ancient Greek goddess of the dawn, was perhaps the most resplendent of all the beings in the Greek pantheon. With the brilliant dye of saffron as her colour, she was also associated with roses, which also embody the glowing hues of the dawn. -
Roman Gemstone with Bull Trampling a Dog
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £60
Plano-convex in profile with chamfered rim, intaglio scene of a horned bull one baseline with a hound attacking it from below; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.90 grams, 13 mm
From a Swiss collection, 1980s onwards. Property of a North London, UK, gentleman.
