Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0117
Roman Terracotta Lamp with Fighting Gladiators
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
4 7/8 in (84 grams, 12.4 cm).
Composed of a discoid body with sunken discus bearing a scene of two gladiators in combat in relief, tabula ansata below, ring handle and roughly D-shaped nozzle with volutes; old crack to base.
Provenance
From a German collection.
Ex Cambridge, UK, collection, 1980s.
Literature
Cf. Gilbert, F., Devenir Gladiateur, la vie quotidienne á l'ecole de la mort, La Capelle-Marival, 2013, pp.30-31, for similar lucernae.
Footnotes
The two gladiators seem to be wearing the armaturae of murmillones. All gladiators began their career as provocatores; the learning of their combat technique was polyvalent and allowed the fighters to specialise as a large shield-bearer (the scutati) like murmillones, or as a small shield-bearer, parmati, like the oplomachus.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
LOT 0117
Roman Terracotta Lamp with Fighting Gladiators
Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Silver Trumpet Brooch
Circa 1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £137
With chord, spring and pin, and trumpet-shaped headplate: D-section collars and a discoid finial at base of flared foot; articulated pin intact; catchplate projecting from the reverse of the lower bow, curving at the outer edge to house the pin. 39 grams, 60 mm
Acquired in Munich, Germany, in the late 1980s. Ex property of a Staffordshire, UK, gentleman. -
.jpg)
Roman Bronze Eagle Statuette
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Modelled in the round standing on a rectangular base, with head slightly turned, detailed plumage. 132 grams, 51 mm
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. -
Roman Gemstone with a Shepherd Milking a Goat
1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
With intaglio scene of a man milking a goat with one leg extended, his back resting on a tree-trunk; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.79 grams, 12 mm
Collected from 1970-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK. Accompanied by a previous catafalque information slip.
