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LOT 0792
Roman 'The Rodings' Silvered Bronze Bird Brooch
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
1 in. (2.9 grams, 25 mm).
Complete with pin lug, pin and catchplate to reverse; bird standing right with wings folded against the body, remains of silvered detailing to the feathers and head. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound The Rodings, Essex, UK.
LiteratureSee PAS WAW-FFAE08, WILT-98EBB0, WILT-695751, for Roman duck brooches.
FootnotesExcavating an archaeological site at Salthouse in October 1980, Alex Vines found a bronze bird thought to be part of a Roman duck brooch. The shape was slightly different from our specimen, but it confirmed that brooches shaped as ducks were used by civilians in 2nd-3rd century Roman Britannia. The zoomorphic brooches were typical in Britain as many of the birds shown were either representative of native birds or of ducks.
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 Iridescent Glass Pyxis
1st-2nd century A.D.Estimate: £200 - 300 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £100
Formed as a cylindrical body with flanged foot to base, straight rim, lid absent. 42.7 grams, 52 mm
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. -
Roman Fresco Painted Wall Plaster Collection
1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £46
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Roman Bronze Jupiter Dolichenus Eagle Pair
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £910
The imperial birds modelled in the round, each standing on the head of a horned bull, wings partially spread; semi-naturalistic detailing to the head and feathers; suspension loop behind the neck. 487 grams total, 89-92 mm
Acquired in Europe before 1992.
The cult of Jupiter Dolichenus was a variant of worship of Zeus from Asia Minor whose mystery cult was widespread in the Roman Empire from the early 2nd to mid-3rd centuries A.D., especially in the military. The god is usually represented mounting a bull, with the double axe (labrys or bipennis) in his right raised hand, and dressed in the military attire of a Roman general.
