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LOT 1027
Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
3RD CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
5/8 - 7/8 in. (37 grams total, 15-22 mm).
A mixed group of ceramic bullae, tesserae or theatre tokens bearing low-relief motifs, mainly consisting of profile busts of deities. [20, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
FootnotesThe term 'tessera' was used in Roman times to convey the Greek term σύμβολον (token). Small tiles are known as tokens, often shaped like coins, made of metal (copper, lead, iron), clay, bone, wood, or glass, stamped as well as engraved. The tokens, however, are not exclusively coin-shaped, as the Latin term 'tessera' suggests by etymologically referring to a square or at least a four-sided shape and confirmed in several cases by material remains of the past. Tokens and tesserae seem to have been used both in Athens and Rome for the distribution of goods. According to written sources, the term token is identified with credentials of the official authorities. They have also been interpreted as tokens of identity, as entrance tickets to theatre performances, tribunals or assemblies of citizens, archival material of seal engraving, as pawns in games, Charon’s obols and even as amulets.
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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Roman Bronze Portrait Intaglio in Iron Ring
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Ellipsoid bezel with inset bronze plaque in a red glass surround; low-relief profile bust with solar crown. 2.70 grams, 20.86 mm overall, 16.97 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G 1/2, USA 3 1/2, Europe 5.55, Japan 5)
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. -
Roman Redware Bowl
Circa 1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Shallow body with flat rim and low basal ring. 80 grams, 10.8 cm wide
From the collection of a late Yorkshire, UK, gentleman. -
Roman Wooden Tablet with a Sales Contract Made on the Goretiano Estate in the Province of Byzacena
4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £6,240
Well preserved rectangular tablet made of cedar wood with a recessed panel to the inner face, the outer face flat and not inscribed; the second and last tablet of a Roman sales contract; the inner face inscribed in Roman cursive script using ink and calamus, fourteen lines of Roman cursive script written within the recess; two small holes both near the upper and lower rim (for binding the tablets of this document together); the text consists of dispositions regarding the sale of a special category of land (gemiones) and ends with the obligatory stipulatio formula: 'stipulata est Macrinia B., spopondidit Iulius L. – Macrinia B. stipulated, Iulius L. (as the vendor) gave the counter promise'. 44.3 grams, 15.6 x 14.1 cm
Acquired by Albert Sfez in the early 1950s. Formerly the property of Monsieur Alain Sfez, a Belgian collector; acquired by gift from his father, Albert Sfez, in 1965. Acquired by a London dealer in 1973. From an important London collection since 1975; thence by descent. Accompanied by a copy of an illustrated academic report by Professor Dr phil. Peter Rothenhöfer.
