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LOT 0843
Roman Silver Spoon with Handle
5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
7 3/8 in. (39 grams, 18.8 cm).
Shallow piriform bowl attached to a stepped baluster, square-section handle with knop finial.
ProvenanceEx London, UK, gallery, 1971-early 2000s.
LiteratureCf. Shelton, K.J., The Esquiline Treasure, London, 1981, item 27, for type.
FootnotesCochlearia like this one have been discovered in treasure hoards. They were used in Christian times for administration of the Holy Communion. The absence of Christian symbolism or of a Christian inscription on this spoon might suggest that it dates from a pre-Christian era, or that its owner/commissioner was pagan, or simply that this spoon was intended for domestic use.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0843
Roman Silver Spoon with Handle
Estimate £400 - 600€460 - 700 (for guidance only)$540 - 810 (for guidance only)
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Roman Marble Cicada Fragment
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £780
Fragment of carved marble arcade with reserved cicada modelled in the half-round at the base; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.07 kg total, 16.8 cm high including stand
From the property of the late Mr SM, London, UK, 1969-1999. -
Roman Tinned Bronze Plate Brooch Complete with Appliques
Circa 2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £182
Formed as six radiating triangles with incised leaf detailing, interstitial applied bone discs, central raised collar with bone disc insert; complete with pin and catchplate to verso. 9.1 grams, 40 mm
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1990s. Property of a Stowmarket, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Lead Coffin Panel with Sphinx, Medusa and Dolphins
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Decorated with stamped patterns including dolphins, gorgoneion, sphinx, floral patterns, motifs with ivy leaves and vertical columns dividing the field into panels. 33.2 kg, 1.72 m
Acquired 1970s-early 1990s. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.
There were many ways of burying bodies during the Roman Empire. Although the majority were buried without coffins, there is evidence for wooden coffins, lead-framed wooden coffins, tile burials and lead and stone coffins. This item belongs to types widespread in the Eastern Mediterranean. The panel is decorated with a columned structure, and within each section are symbols of the outer-world, including gorgons, sphinx and dolphins. The sphinx, having a human head and breasts, legs and paws of a lion, and wings of a bird, was generally associated with protecting imperial tombs and temples. The roundels featuring the head of Medusa, known for her potent gazes that could turn one to stone, was favoured on sarcophagi and architectural ornaments because it was believed that her image would protect those within. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Very often these sarcophagi were connected by a pipe to the ground above so that mourners could pour offerings into the grave.
