Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0830

Roman Silver Kantharos Wine Cup

2ND CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.

5 1/2 in. (156 grams, 14 cm wide).

With deep spherical body supported on a round stand; incised with a band around the inner surface and concentric circles on the outer body; two looped high handles, one with stipple engraved monogram on the upper side.

Provenance

Ex Mansees collection, formed 1950s-early 1990s.
From a large American collection formed in Chicago, Illinois, USA, in 1995.
From a European collection.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11627-197618.

Literature

Cf. Roberts, P., Life and Death in Pompeii and Herculaneum, The British Museum, London, 2013, pp.238-9, for similar; cf. Mattusch, C.C., Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art And Culture Around The Bay Of Naples, Washington, 2009, p.123, item 29, for a comparable vessel identified as 'probably late Republican'.

CONDITION

VETTING:

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.

LOT 0830

Roman Silver Kantharos Wine Cup

Estimate £3,500 - 4,500€4,060 - 5,220 (for guidance only)$4,730 - 6,080 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • The Anglesey Romano-British Marble Head of a Celtic Warrior
    'The Anglesey' Romano-British Marble Head of a Celtic Warrior
    1st-2nd century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £7,150

    Carved with comma-leaf detailing to the hair, a low brow over almond-shaped eyes, broad triangular nose and thick moustache obscuring the mouth; mounted on a custom-made stand. 7.3 kg total, 28.5 cm high including stand



    Found Anglesey, Wales, 1978. From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. Accompanied by a newspaper article on the find.

    The style of execution is rather more refined than for the majority of stone heads, and lacks the characteristic slit mouth. Same elements of the design are seen on the figure from Otley (Jackson, no.25) and especially that from Bradford-Heaton (no.16) which shares the prominent moustache.

    Lot Details

  • Large Roman Decorated Redware Serving Bowl with Grape Bunches
    Large Roman Decorated Redware Serving Bowl with Grape Bunches
    Circa 4th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £468

    In perfect condition with stepped rim, impressed stylised bunches of grapes and concentric circles within a roundel to the interior. 1.13 kg, 31 cm



    Acquired in the 1990s. From the Greer collection, Oxford, UK.

    Lot Details

  • Stone Corbel with Severed Head of a Gallo-Roman
    Stone Corbel with Severed Head of a Gallo-Roman
    Circa 2nd century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690

    Statue or frieze fragment with male head modelled in the half-round; circular face with large almond-shaped eyes, heavy brow, thick tousled hair framing the face, drooping moustache and short beard; presented at an oblique angle to the lower face of the block; two mounting holes to the underside. 22.8 kg, 43 cm



    Found in Norfolk, UK. Acquired from Michael Booth, 1998. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

    The angle of the face in respect of the block suggests that the head is both tilted and detached, i.e. that it is a tête coupé or severed head. The practice of headhunting is documented among the natives of both Gaul and Britain (and elsewhere) in the Iron Age. The head is then considered to have special powers to avert evil and promote fertility, cure disease and provide other benefits. This is the case with the carved head - a male mask with copious hair and beard - from the Roman baths at Bath, Somerset (the ancient Aquae Sulis) which was a site of worship long before the arrival of a Roman presence in the area (Ross, p.91). The head takes on the character of a deity and is believed to respond favourably to prayer.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list