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LOT 0116
Roman 'Published' Terracotta Oil Lamp with Fighting Gladiators
EARLY 1ST CENTURY A.D.
3 3/4 in. (5 3/4 in.) (66 grams, 95 mm (137 grams total, 14.6 cm high including stand)).
Grey fabric, broad discus with concentric rings and chamfered shoulder, short nozzle flanked by volute scrolls; scene of two murmillo gladiators in combat, one having fallen to the ground; maker's stamp to the underside 'MAR[..]S'; mounted on a custom-made stand.
ProvenanceEx Axel Guttmann collection of ancient arms and armour, Germany (1944-2001).
with Christie's, Axel Guttmann collection of Ancient Arms and Armour, part 2, London, 28 April 2004, no.178 (part).
European private collection.
Exhibited at Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 3rd February-9th March 2024; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefact on display.
Accompanied by a copy of the Christie's online catalogue listing.
Accompanied by copies of the relevant Das Spiel mit dem Tod, book pages.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12049-211932.
Currently on display at Harwich Museum.
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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LOT 0116
Roman 'Published' Terracotta Oil Lamp with Fighting Gladiators
Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
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Roman Bronze Mercury Votive Foot
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £85
Hollow-formed with raised posture, low-relief detailed strapping. 92 grams, 70 mm
Property of a Gloucestershire, UK, collector. Property of an East Sussex, UK, gentleman. -
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Roman Lead Coffin Fragment with Sphinx, Medusa and Dolphins
2nd-3rd century A.DSold for (Inc. bp): £3,380
Decorated with a high-relief pattern comprising sphinxes surrounded by dolphins and masks of Medusa surrounded by laurel leaves all between Corinthian columns; ropework and floral border strips with laurel leaves above; lip below the upper edge. 20.1 kg, 101.5 cm
Acquired 1970s-early 1990s. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
This item belongs to types widespread in the Eastern Mediterranean. The panel is decorated with a columned structure, and within each section are symbols of the outer-world, including gorgons, sphinx and dolphins. The sphinx, having a human head and breasts, legs and paws of a lion, and wings of a bird, was generally associated with protecting imperial tombs and temples. The roundels featuring the head of Medusa, known for her potent gazes that could turn one to stone, was favoured on sarcophagi and architectural ornaments because it was believed that her image would protect those within. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. -
Roman Gold Chain with Ball Pendant
5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Trichinopoly chain with hook-and-eye closure, ball pendant with beaded wire collar. 15.02 grams, 36.5 cm long
From the collection of a Cambridgeshire lady, UK, 1990s.
The chain is composed of links in the form of pairs of broad, ribbed bands soldered together at a right angle. It is of fine loop-in-loop construction, terminating on one side in a ribbed cap with loops. The chain of ribbed loops placed at right angles is one of several popular varieties introduced in the late Roman period. The ball pendant was very common in Graeco-Roman times, substituted by Christian symbols during the late empire.
