Roman Tabular Lead Weight Collection

Tall thin translucent pale green vessel with wide base and flared rim. 30.9 grams, 13 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

Matched pair of chariot fittings, each formed as the head and forelegs of a boar with open mouth and prominent tusks, developing to a crescentic square-section body with knop finial, supported on a column and square-section tiered base; mounted on custom-made display stands. 1.13 kg total, 22.5 cm high including stand



Ex Ancient Art, North London, UK. 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. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12058-212073.

The fittings were possibly part of a decoration of a Thraco-Roman chariot. Sometimes the ends of the yokes were covered with bronze toppers geometrically shaped or decorated with figures of a lion, a wild boar (our example), a goat, etc. Often, instead of these toppers, there were the so-called bronze distributors. Some were without decoration and others had geometric decoration. The most common ones were those sculpted as two opposing panthers (rarely lions).

Including equal-arm, bow brooch fragments, and a Romano-British lion bow brooch similar to the one found at Corbridge (lot 891). 21.1 grams total, 28-42 mm



Property of the vendor's grandfather, thence by family descent, circa 1985. From the private collection of a New York, USA gentleman.