Loading, please wait...
_900x900.jpg "Roman Style Solid Gold Ring with Portrait Gemstone")
_200x200.jpg "Roman Style Solid Gold Ring with Portrait Gemstone")
.jpg "Roman Style Solid Gold Ring with Portrait Gemstone")
LOT 2066
Roman Style Solid Gold Ring with Portrait Gemstone
19TH-20TH CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (5.87 grams, 25.14 mm overall, 19.14 mm internal diameter (approximate size British R, USA 8 1/2, Europe 18 3/4, Japan 18)).
Comprising a rhomboid hoop and inset an amethyst cabochon, with intaglio portrait bust of a king or god (Herakles?) looking right.
ProvenanceFrom a private family collection formed since the early 19th century, thence by descent.
Property of a New Zealand legal professional.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12330-223720.
Cf. for the original Greek prototype of portrait Spier, J., Ancient Gems and finger rims, Malibu, 1992, fig.234 (banded Heracles); for the 19th shape of ring cf. Chadour, A.B., Ringe/Rings, Die Alice und Louis Koch Sammlung/The Alice and Louis Koch Collection, volume II, Leeds, 1994, fig.1158; for the neoclassical portrait Scarisbrick, D., Wagner, C., Boardman, J., The Beverley Collection of Gems at Alnwick Castle, The Philip Wilson Gems and Jewellery Series, London, 2016.
FootnotesThe engraved head probably is depicting a Greek king or a Roman emperor from the Antonine Dynasty of the 2nd century A.D. The style of engraving does not assist with making a firm identification, but a cameo with a similar subject is in the Guy Ladriére collection and the head is attributed to Emperor Hadrian (Scarisbrick, Wagner, Boardman, 2016b, no. 40). The subject was extremely popular in modern times, and identification with Heracles is also possible.
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:
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.
-
Mixed Bronze and Terracotta Artefact Group
20th century A.D. or earlierSold for (Inc. bp): £7
Comprising: ceramic seated figure with voided mouth; bronze pipe with bell-shaped bowl. 2.14 kg total, 24-46 cm
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. -
Boxed Quartz Vase with Cabochons
20th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Bulbous jar with ribbed neck and funicular mouth; bands of applied wire tendrils with green and rose glass cabochons. 1.28 kg, 15.5 cm (2.37 kg total with box, 21.8 x 21.8 x 19.5 cm)
Property of a South West London gentleman. -
Large Russian Icon of Virgin of Vladimir
Circa 1860 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,680
Depicting nimbate Mary Theotokos with veiled head and wearing a maphorion mantle over a dark blue robe with gold cuffs, inclined towards the infant Jesus supported by her right hand, his left arm wrapped around her neck and the right hand resting on her chest; gilt field and border with colourful enamelled detailing to the corners, roundels and rectangles with monograms and titling, on each side of her head 'ΜΡ ΘΥ' (Μήτηρ (τοῦ) Θεοῦ = Mother of God), over her left shoulder Cyrillic inscription 'Влади́мирская Б.М.' (Vladimir Mother of God), over the child inscription in Greek letters 'ΙϹ ΧϹ' (ΙΗϹΟΥϹ ΧΡΙϹΤΟϹ = Jesus Christ), three letters (only two visible) inside the nimbus of Christ representing the continuous divine self-existence of Christ as God ('O ѾN' = The Only One who always exists); Moscow School. 6.5 kg, 56.5 x 46 cm
Fine condition.
Ex property of a London lady, part of her family's collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate no. 11543-196361.
This splendid specimen was probably originally housed in an aristocratic Russian home. The icon of the Virgin Mother of Vladimir with the infant Jesus (the original preserved in the Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow), probably the most famous icon of all of Russia, was thought to have been created in Constantinople in the early part of 1100s. This image is sometimes referred to as the ‘tenderness icon’, with artists attempting to show the close relationship of mother and son with their cheeks touching as they embrace.
