Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0774
Roman Silver Folding 'Travel' Spoon
CIRCA 4TH CENTURY A.D.
4 3/8 in. (28 grams, 11.2 cm long).
A short silver spoon with shallow piriform bowl, raised neck with movable pinned hinge attached to the hexagonal-section handle and shortened polyhedral knob finial, allowing the handle to be folded into the bowl. [No Reserve]
Provenance
Early 1990s London collection.
Acquired on the UK art market.
From a private collection, Lancashire, UK.
Literature
Cf. Shelton, K.J., The Esquiline Treasure, London, 1981, item 27, for type.
Footnotes
As today, the spoon was used as a measure for dosage in ancient times. Both the cochlear and the ligula could have been used to measure different quantities, particularly in the practice of medicine and in the kitchen. Isidore (Origines, XVI, 26.3) tells us that the cochlear was the smallest unit size and was worth half a drachma.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Marble Hand Holding Bird
1st-2nd century A.D. or laterSold for (Inc. bp): £845
A white marble right forearm and hand, modelled in the round gripping a bird; simple detailing to the bird's head and to the folds of the skin on the palm of the hand and the nail beds; remains of iron rod inserted into the limb. 531 grams, 17 cm
New York art market, 1992. -
Roman Silver Folding 'Travel' Spoon
Circa 4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £494
A short silver spoon with shallow piriform bowl, raised neck with movable pinned hinge attached to the hexagonal-section handle and shortened polyhedral knob finial, allowing the handle to be folded into the bowl. 28 grams, 11.2 cm long
Early 1990s London collection. Acquired on the UK art market. From a private collection, Lancashire, UK.
As today, the spoon was used as a measure for dosage in ancient times. Both the cochlear and the ligula could have been used to measure different quantities, particularly in the practice of medicine and in the kitchen. Isidore (Origines, XVI, 26.3) tells us that the cochlear was the smallest unit size and was worth half a drachma. -
.jpg)
Roman Terracotta Bust of a Boy
1st-century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £351
A terracotta bust of a boy mounted on an integral channeled plinth base, modelled with semi-naturalistic facial features and a cropped hairstyle, wearing a bulla and a sash over the left shoulder. 341 grams, 17 cm high
Ex private German collection, 1960; thence by descent. with Auktionshaus Owl, Bielefeld, Germany, 5 September 2015, Lot 40605.
In ancient Rome, the bulla was an amulet given to every boy nine days after his birth. The meaning, origins and use of the bulla are in some ways enigmatic and still a subject of research for scholars. The bulla was worn around the neck during childhood and adolescence. Depending on the social status and wealth of the family who commissioned it, different materials were used; on rare occasions it was made fully in gold, if the child belonged to a family of the high Roman aristocracy, or more commonly made in lead covered with a gold foil. The bulla was also made for the poorer classes in lesser materials, such as fabric or leather.
