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LOT 0972
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Fighting Gladiators
2ND CENTURY A.D.
3 1/4 in. (62 grams, 82 mm).
Broad and squat with short stub nozzle, concentric rings to the base, row of impressed annulets to the shoulder, discus with central filler hole; low-relief scene of two murmillo gladiators in combat.
ProvenanceFrom a German private collection, 1980s.
Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
Cf. similar in the Metropolitan Museum of Art under Object Number: 74.51.2022.
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 0972
Roman Terracotta Oil Lamp with Fighting Gladiators
Estimate £200 - 300€230 - 350 (for guidance only)$270 - 410 (for guidance only)
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Roman Bronze Hanging Oil Lamp
6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Bulbous body with curving nozzle and a raised filler hole flanking the suspension loop, the body with raised decoration and three stub legs, possibly depicting a hedgehog. 118 grams, 81 mm
From the private coin collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the mid 1980s. -
Roman Glass Phallic Amulet
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £468
Modelled in the round with applied red-glass collar, pierced through the shaft for suspension. 11.4 grams, 32 mm
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.
In the Roman world, the phallus was a symbol of luck or fertility, and it was believed to have apotropaic functions. Pendants, amulets and small objects were worn by all sorts of people as symbols of protection, especially by young children, according to Varro and Pliny the Elder. The phallus is also commonly found on reliefs, frescoes and lamps from the Graeco-Roman world. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Naked Male Gemstone
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
D-section hoop widening at the shoulders, tall oval bezel set with blue glass intaglio with a standing nude male, bow behind back, holding a wine skin in upraised hand. 4.33 grams, 21.61 mm overall, 16.10 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)
Ex property of a gentleman; from a Mayfair, London, UK, gallery. Private collection, Suffolk, UK.
