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LOT 0114
Roman Terracotta Foot Lamp
2ND CENTURY A.D.
4 3/4 in. (112 grams, 12.2 cm).
Mould-made and shaped as a sandaled left foot, filling-hole surrounded by a ridge in the ankle area, the sandal with two leather straps tied together near the ankle, wick-hole in the big toe; inscription 'ƩΑΛΣΙϹ' to the base, heel chipped.
ProvenanceWith Gorny & Mosch, Auction 194, 14 December 2010, lot 505.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11799-206830.
See Bussière, J., Lindros Wohl, B., Ancient Lamps in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 2017, no.599, p.438.
FootnotesThis lamp belongs to a type of plastic lamp made in Anatolia and widespread throughout the Eastern Empire. The sandaled foot was part of the classification of plastic lamps dedicated to the representation of the human body. These lamps were the luxuries of the poor, being brought to temples as votive offerings, however some took their place in the domestic lararia, or were kept by children as playthings.
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 Marble Head of a Youth
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,420
Naturalistically modelled in the round, large and deep eyes with a thoughtful expression under the heavy eyelids; lips lightly profiled and parted; the back and lower part roughly treated indicating that it was prepared to be installed in a hollow or part of a relief; mounted on a custom-made display base. 4.59 kg total, 25 cm high including stand
Ex private Swiss collection, prior to the late 1980s. Acquired at Camels-Cohen Auction 228, Paris, France, 16 & 17 September 2003, lot 324. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by an academic report by Professor Neritan Ceka. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11806-206511.
The realistic style of treatment of the portrait and the preservation of classical features, in the examples of Cicero, Pompeius, or Agrippa, lead us to the last period of Roman republican portraiture, around the middle of the 1st century B.C. On the other hand, the frontal symmetry of the face, the serious expression of the eyes and the hair behind the neck, refer to the Greek sculpture of the Rigorous Style, from which the presentation of the portrait may have been inspired. These features could suggest also dating of the portrait to the last decades of the rule of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty in Rome, when there is a return to the realistic tradition of the portrait, as well as to the hairstyle with the parallel curls of the hair on the forehead in the figures, as in the portrait of Emperor Caligula (37-41 A.D.). -
Roman Bronze Seated Long-Haired Dog Statuette
1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £222
Modelled seated on its rump with forepaws before the body, head erect with gaping mouth exposing sharp teeth; detailing to the long coat and face. 31.5 grams, 39 mm
‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection. -
Roman Period Bronze Dress Pin Group
Circa 1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Comprising complete and incomplete examples with decorative finials including birds, vessels, a human head and other forms. 85 grams total, 6.9-19 cm
Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a Ruislip, UK, gentleman, by inheritance.
