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LOT 0126
Roman Silver Phalera with Medusa
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
2 3/8 in. (13.8 grams, 59 mm).
Discoid with fluted rim, central raised gorgoneion within scrolled tendrils.
ProvenanceEx German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Appels, A. & Laycock, S., Roman Buckles and Military Fittings, Witham, 2007, items AA9.2, AA9.3, for similar discoid elements.
FootnotesMilitary phalerae with representations of Medusa or the Gorgoneion were popular among the Roman army. They decorated horse harnesses and officers' armour. They were also used as appliqués for scabbards, caskets, or other items in military use. Our phalera is classical in style, recalling the style of the Gorgoneia of the Nemi's ship, and it could also have been used as decorative item for furniture.
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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2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £250
Ellipsoid gemstone in ferrous matrix; intaglio figural scene with two figures in floor-length robes, each supporting a cornucopia, facing each other and holding hands; above, two profile busts with radiate crowns; below recumbent amphora; legend 'MIA' beneath the extended arms; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 3.82 grams, 22 mm
From a Swiss collection, 1980s onwards. Property of a North London, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Bronze Statuette of Isis
1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £546
The goddess standing, wearing an Ionic chiton and himation secured by a characteristic knot tied between her breasts, the folds cascading to the floor; her left hand modelled open and held above her breast; her centre-parted wavy locks fastened with a band, pulled back in a chignon at the nape of her neck and surmounted by a hair-comb; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 280 grams total, 13.3 cm including stand
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.
Statuettes of Fortuna, the goddess of chance, were evidently popular during the Roman Imperial times judging by the large number that have been found, and with the advent of the cult of Isis within the Roman Empire, the two divinities were identified as a single goddess.
