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LOT 0732
Roman Silver Hercules Club
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
2 1/4 in. (26.5 grams, 56 mm).
Tubular body with piriform bosses, double collar beneath six tongue-shaped petals, domed finial with knop above.
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Sapphire Gemstone of Bacchus
1st century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,860
With intaglio profile bust of the god Bacchus facing left; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 1.41 grams, 12 mm
Private 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.
During 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. -
Roman Gold Ring with Black Chalcedony Dioscouros Gemstone
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Hollow-formed gold ring with round-section hoop and a tall oval bezel set with a black chalcedony cloison with incised image of a Dioscuros facing left, naked apart from a long fringed cape and a galea (Roman helmet), holding a large shield to his left side and with a horse to his right. 1.82 grams, 23.33 mm overall, 16.98 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K 1/2, USA 6, Europe 16, Japan 11).
From a collection of ancient rings, 1980s. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12953-246354. -
Large Eastern Roman Green Glass Bottle with Iridescence
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £2,500 - 3,500 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,250
Piriform in profile with a narrow neck and flared mouth with a chamfered rim, dimple base. 945 grams, 29.5 cm high
From the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès private collection. with Artcurial, Paris, 25 March 2014, no.39. 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.12959-245241.
On ancient glass, iridescence is the soft play of colour that develops as the surface ages and becomes silica-rich. Minute layers form over time and break light into shifting blues, greens and golds. It is not a modern finish but something time has drawn out of the material itself, so the pattern and palette are unique to each piece. Collectors prize good, stable iridescence because it lifts the form: ribs read more crisply, profiles glow, and simple vessels take on depth and movement. Museums now tend to preserve these surfaces rather than polish them away, recognising both their beauty and what they tell us about an object’s long life (though it is not, by itself, a dating test). For display, iridescent glass performs brilliantly under gentle, directional light, where the colours “turn” as the vessel is moved. Well-preserved, even iridescence of this quality is not common and adds materially to the presence and desirability of the piece.