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LOT 0658
Roman Silver Cochlear Spoon Inscribed 'May You Live in God'
CIRCA 4TH CENTURY A.D.
5 1/4 in. (13.5 grams, 13.4 cm).
Composed of a decoratively twisted slender stem with onion knop finial and roughly D-shaped neck formed as the arched neck of a horse, the restored oval bowl bearing a Latin inscription '[V]IVASINDEO' to the interior, the underside gently carinated. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceEx Garcia collection, France, 1990s-2000s.
LiteratureCf. The British Museum, museum number 1994,0408.122, for this inscription on a similar spoon discovered as part of the Hoxne hoard.
FootnotesAccording to the British Museum, the inscription corresponds to the phrase 'Vivas in deo', meaning 'May you live in God'. This inscription was common in the Roman Empire and especially in Roman Britain after the advent of Christianity. A small Roman silver disc, thought to have been part of a signet ring, dated to 4th-5th century and found near Swaffham, is inscribed 'Antonius, may you live in God (Antoni, vivas in Deo)'. It is highly possible that our spoon, if a liturgical object, was used to administer Holy Communion.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0658
Roman Silver Cochlear Spoon Inscribed 'May You Live in God'
Sold for (Inc. bp): £715
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Romano-British Bronze Artefact Group
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £20
Comprising a vine-leaf finial from an item of furniture; a P-shaped bow-brooch with pellet detailing; a bronze bow-brooch with lateral flanges. 41.8 grams total, 41-53 mm
Found near Great Chesterford, Cambridgeshire, UK, 2000s. -
Roman Red Ware Bowl Fragment with Gladiator
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
From the upper part of a vessel, displaying a bird, a satyr head and a caduceus, a leaping wild horse and a gladiator within a roundel. 71.9 grams, 98 mm
Acquired 1960s-1990s. From the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.
These kind of fragments are often found in military camps. In addition to simple cooking pots, jugs, plates and mortars, the household effects of a contubernium (the smallest organised unit of soldiers in the Roman army composed of eight legionaries) also included finer eating and drinking utensils. To avoid confusion, many soldiers marked their dishes with their names and, if necessary, repaired them with the help of lead clips. -
Roman Bronze Dog Brooch
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £150 - 200 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £75
The body characterised by a series of horizontal grooves, raised pins to the front and back, the ones on the back probably for the attachment of the hinged pin. 2.5 grams, 34 mm
Acquire in the 1990s. Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.
This unusual fibula was probably a provincial production. The dog was connected to the Celtic divinities and also with Silvanus, who was associated with healing, hunting, and dogs.
