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LOT 0093
Roman Sapphire Gemstone of Bacchus
1ST CENTURY B.C.
1/2 in. (1.41 grams, 12 mm).
With intaglio profile bust of the god Bacchus facing left; supplied with a museum-quality impression.
ProvenancePrivate English collection, formed between the late 1970s and early 1990s.
Private collection, London, UK.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12952-246460.
Cf. Elise Giz, J., Confronting the Divine in Miniature: engraved gems and the creation of religious experience in Pompeii, New Brunswick, 2024, fig.2, for similar portrait.
FootnotesDuring and after the Alexandrine period, the character of Greek gems changed considerably: the type of figure became softer and more feminine in beauty, Homeric scenes were no longer represented, and deities such as Apollo, Aphrodite or Dionysus, with subjects relating to the theatre or musical contests, became the favourite motifs for representation.
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 Silver Ring with Apollo Gemstone
Circa 2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
A round-section hoop expanding to broad shoulders, flat plaque with inset carnelian cloison, intaglio image of Apollo (Sol), cloaked, advancing with a patera in each hand. 4.53 grams, 22.48 mm overall, 17.58 mm internal diameter (approximate size British H, USA 3 3/4, Europe 6.18, Japan 6)
From an important collection of jewellery formed over 40 years by a German collector. -
Roman Black Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £65
Restrung group of oblate and other types with annular pendant centrepiece. 9.39 grams, 44.5 cm
London, UK, collection, 2000s. -
Roman Glass Flask
4th-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £304
With squat bulbous body and broad shoulder, tapering neck with flared rim, dimpled base. 81 grams, 15.5 cm
From an important London collection of glass, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This kind of bottles are common in the Eastern Empire workshops of the Levant. Similar vessels, with faint ribs, have been excavated in the necropolises of Beit Ras, Jordan, and Samaria-Sebaste, Israel.
