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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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LOT 0921
Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
Sold for (Inc. bp): £247
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Roman Green Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £39
Composed of graduated beads including oblate, tubular, polygonal, and others, the central feature a large annular pendant, restrung. 24.7 grams, 41 cm
Acquired in the 1990s. Ex London, UK, collection. -
Roman Lead Glazed Oil Lamp
4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Tall circular body with squat nozzle and a lug handle to the rear, an inked collector's note '521' on the base; rare. 90 grams, 93 mm
From an important collection of lamps, Germany, 1970s. -
Roman Bronze Statuette of the Goddess Juno
3rd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £9,750
A substantial hollow-form figure of Juno (Greek Hera) standing with right hand in gripping pose, left hand extended palm-upwards, engraved collar to the neck and diadem to the hair, palla gathered at the waist, slipping from the right shoulder; mounted on a custom-made stand. 693 grams total, 25 cm high including stand
Horatio and Patsy Melas Collection, Alexandria and later Switzerland, acquired by 1960 and until 1989. Kyros Melas Collection, London, 1989 until 1999. with Bonhams, Knightsbridge, 21 October 1999, no.178 [£6,000-£8,000]. Private collection, London. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Bonhams catalogue pages. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13308-258228.
The figure's pose recalls that of the statue of Juno Sospita in the Vatican Museum, Rome, inv. no.241. Horatio Melas was born in 1904 into a family of Greek merchants established in Alexandria, Egypt. It was there that he met and, in 1960, married Patsy, and together they maintained the family collection. Following the family's departure from Egypt in 1967, the collection was relocated to Switzerland, remaining there until 1989, when their son, Kyros Melas, settled in London. Kyros, who worked in the City as a private equity trader, continued to care for the collection and occasionally added to it during the 1990s.
