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LOT 0921
Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
3RD CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
5/8 - 7/8 in. (35.5 grams total, 16-21 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' refers to a four-sided shape. 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 Wooden Wax Tablet Fragment Written in Greek
Circa 3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,430
Part of a wax tablet with two holes in the frame for fastening, Greek writing. 45.45 grams, 18.6 x 7.2 cm
Property of a North London gentleman; previously in the Dean family collection since 1975.
Wax tablets written in Greek or Latin, were used by Romans as account registers (codices accepti et expensi); for transactions (for example, the tablets of the banker Lucius Caecilius Iucundus found in Pompeii); for lists of goods, inventories, and notes to be kept and archived; for Roman magistrates to annotate the salient events of their bureaucratic activities; for writing letters; for drawing up legal texts of various kinds: legacies, declarations of births and citizenship, reports of trials and diplomata militaria. -
Roman Orange Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £59
Composed mainly of oblate and annular beads with larger beads as a central feature, restrung. 10.7 grams, 39 cm
Acquired in the 1990s. Ex London, UK, collection. -
Roman Glass Candlestick Unguentarium
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £110
With low conical body and slightly convex wall, dimple base; tall cylindrical neck flaring to mouth with inward-folded rim; slightly iridescent surface. 37.2 grams, 13.6 cm
Ex P. Martens, The Netherlands, formed between 1974-1984. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00075481.
