Loading, please wait...
LOT 0099
Roman Rock Crystal Gemstone with Sobek
1ST CENTURY A.D.
5/8 in. (1.24 grams, 15 mm).
Lentoid in section with engraved image of the crocodile-headed god Sobek, wearing a broad collar and pleated kilt, advancing with a spear, wearing the Pa-sekhemty crown; supplied with a museum-quality impression. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the Fadel family collection, London, UK, 1970s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
Cf. West, N., 'Gods on Small Things: Egyptian Monumental Iconography on Late Antique Magical Gems and the Greek and Demotic Magical Papyri,' in Smith, A.C., Bergeron, M.E. (eds.), The Gods of Small Things, Pallas 86, Toulouse, 2011, p.160, fig. 30g, for a gem with a standing Sobek; Kockelmann, H., Der Herr der Seen, Sümpfe und Flußläufe 1, Wiesbaden, 2017, pp.96-97, for discussion of the crowns worn by Sobek.
FootnotesThe primary centres of worship for Sobek during the Roman Period were Medinet el-Fayum (ancient Shedet) in the Fayum region and Kom Ombo in Upper Egypt, where live crocodiles were kept within the temple precincts. Sobek was associated with other deities and the pharaoh, symbolising procreative and vegetative fertility, as well as strength and power.
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.
-
.jpg)
Roman Enamelled Bronze Horse Plate Brooch
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £143
With enamelled pellets to the body, ring-and-dot motifs to the neck; remains of pin-lugs and catchplate to the reverse. 4.36 grams, 29.5 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
.jpg)
Roman Mixed Architectural and Pottery Group
1st century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £65
Including Spartan Basalt, mined in Greece, cut and polished on one side; one marble fragment marked in pencil: 'VILLA / HADRIAN', another: 'OSTIA / ANTICA'; a large amphora handle; seven pottery fragments; a carved decorative edge stone; a marble core fragment; a later floor tile fragment; with an old handwritten slip with: 'VILLA HADRIAN, AUSTRIA ATICA, Nr. ROME, ITALY.' and on the inside: 'AUSTRIA ATICA / (/ VILLA HADRIAN / (outside Rome, in nowadays Tivoli)'. 1.57 kg total, 5-18.5 cm
Acquired on the UK market, since 1970. From the historic mineral collection of Richard Valentine Cain, London, UK, thence by descent. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato. -
Roman Bronze Figure of a Pygmy
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £1,500 - 2,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £750
Modelled in the round figure of a pygmy with later pelta shield and Corinthian helmet; the figure modelled nude with exaggerated muscles and genitals; mounted on a custom-made stand. 227 grams total, 10 cm high including stand
Old private collection. Anonymous sale, Delorme du Bocage, Paris, 31 March 2010. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12050-211847. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.
