Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Bird Facing Right

Ellipsoid cameo with profile portrait bust in antique gold pendant frame with surrounding cabochons: emerald, sapphire, ruby - and clusters of pearls; marked to reverse '750', in a rectangle 'Bd G' (believed to be an upstate New York jeweller's stamp) and an indeterminate third mark; supplied with a custom-made display stand. 99 grams total, pendant: 50 mm



American collection, early 20th century, New York. with Robert Haber Gallery, New York, 1990. Ex Jean Clostre, Geneva, Switzerland. Accompanied by a scholarly report by Dr Ittai Gradel. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12223-222312.

Dr Ittai Gradel says: 'The cameo, of exquisite technical quality, has a close parallel in the Cabinet des médailles, Paris .. The TimeLine auction cameo is not, however, an exact copy .. though details are so close to the larger Paris cameo that the same gem carver, or at least workshop, probably produced both.'

Depicted in a standing position with an erect head, the detailed claws resting on a pedestal base, folded wings and a long tail; detailed engraving of feathers, superb rendering of the beak and round eyes; Greek inscription on the front and left side of the raised square pedestal, having a square socket allowing the insertion in a staff or shaft; the inscription could be translated as: '[Ο]Ι [ΤΗ]Σ Δ[ΙΟΣ] = To Zeus / [Ε]ΤΑ[Ι]Ρ[ΕI] (?)ΡΡΑΣ = those of the association of ? ..RRAS / ΕΥΧ ΗΝ = in fulfilment of a vow'. 233 grams, 95 mm



UK private collection before 2000. Acquired on the UK art market. Private collection, London, UK. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13060-248309.

In the Roman world the eagle, bird associated with the god Jupiter or Zeus (Aetos Dios = Eagle of Zeus), king of the Olympian gods, and one of his most common attributes together with thunderbolt and the long sceptre, was seen as ‘the symbol and agent of apotheosis after death’ and an eagle was released from the top of an emperor’s funeral pyre to signal the journey of the soul heavenwards. Eagles were also the principal standard of the Legions, in gold or silver, and became the military symbol for excellence. However, the eagle was not reserved only for the ruling class or for military people, but was also found on funerary altars and dedications of private citizens. As is so often the case with metal figurines, nineteen of the eagles found in Britain are from unknown contexts, but they are found at a variety of site types, including four from military sites and three from urban sites. Apart from two from villas, they do not occur at rural settlement sites or at religious sites other than the temple at Woodeaton, Oxon, where a small group of five eagle figurines was recovered (Kirk, 1949; Henig and Munby, 1973). Also of interest is the eagle figure thought to have been a sceptre terminal, which was recovered from the temple at Farley Heath, Surrey. A second sceptre terminal, identified variously as an eagle or raven, was also part of the hoard found at Willingham Fen (Bird 2007, 49 no. 81, fig. 21).

Of piriform shape with everted rim, gently chamfered upper lip and concave underside; lid with bevelled rim, gently dished upper face rising to a central dome and cylindrical handle with piecrust pleats; iridescent surfaces. 823 grams total, 29.5 cm high



Ex Sangiorgi collection, acquired in the 19th century. with Christie's, 3 June 1999, no.121. The remains of a 19th-early 20th-century label can be seen on the glass on one side. with Christie's, New York, 9 December 1999, no.476. American private collection, Westchester, New York, acquired in 1999. with Bonhams, London, 30 September 2015, no.91. Private collection, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13132-248966.

A similar jar in the British Museum was found in Warwick Square, London, inside a lead canister, and was originally filled with bone ashes. The Romans often reused glass jars, originally made for storing liquids and foodstuffs, as cremation vessels, but this kind of jar seems too fragile and was therefore probably purpose-made. The lead canister, which was found with the jar from London, protected the glass and bones. Georgio Sangiorgi is one of the most famous names associated with the field of ancient glass collecting. Working from the Galleria Sangiorgi in the Palazzo Borghese, Sangiorgi acquired the most magnificent collection of ancient glass, seeking only the finest examples.