Roman Terracotta Wine Flagon

Standing in contrapposto pose, wearing a cloak draped from the right shoulder and tucked around the left arm supporting a caduceus with snake-head finials; broad-brimmed petasos with wings on the crown; the right arm held vertically at the side supporting the marsupium coin-purse; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 111 grams total, 88 mm including stand



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.

Mercury was the god of trade and industry, whose principle shrine in the city of Rome was at the Circus Maximus. The draped mantle is typical for statuary of Mercury from the 1st-2nd century A.D. (Boucher, pl.40, 43) as is the caduceus (Boucher, pl.46 (211)).

A reused tablet with a recessed panel on one side, the lower part absent, on the upper rim one of originally 3 holes necessary for binding together of the tablets of the document, 5 lines in Roman cursive on the recessed panel containing the end of a the record of a legal document in a formulaic legal language; part of a legal document which consisted of two (diptychon) or three tablets (triptychon), with the indication where it was done (actum in …) followed by the so-called chirographum (signature line) of a person called Felicianus, letter forms point to a date in the second half of the 4th century AD; with a recessed slot to verso. 12.4 grams, 14.7 cm



From an important London collection since 1975. Accompanied by a collection of six 1970s photographs of the the tablet.

The contract follows standard Roman legal formulae.

Comprising a small round-section penannular body with beast-headed terminals. 15.31 grams, 55 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman.