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LOT 0931
Roman Silver Statuette Collection
2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
1 - 1 1/2 in. (24.5 grams total, 24-38 mm).
Modelled standing on polygonal bases, comprising: a male figure with full head of hair and beard, dressed in a floor-length robe and holding a patera; a male figure dressed in full-length robe, wearing a hat and holding a palm(?), one arm absent; a female figure standing in floor-length robes, possibly holding a cornucopia and rudder, suspension loop to reverse. [3, No Reserve]
ProvenanceAcquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s.
From an important North West London collection.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Mosaic Stone Tesserae Group
1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £120 - 170 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £65
A mixed group of over hundred single tesserae of various colours and sizes. 76 grams total, 6-14 mm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
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. -
Roman Bronze Figure of a Grotesque Warrior
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,000
Modelled in the round figure of a hoplite with later pelta shield and corinthian helmet; the figure modelled nude with exaggerated muscles and genitals; mounted on a custom-made stand. 227 grams total, 10 cm high including stand
Old private collection. Anonymous sale, Delorme du Bocage, Paris, 31 March 2010. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12050-211847.