Roman Translucent Glass Bowl with Wheel-Cut Design

Red carnelian intaglio featuring a sow laying on its side with three stylised piglets resting between its legs; set in a modern gold ring. 6.83 grams, 22.85 mm overall, 17.78 x 16.88 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)



Private collection, London. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13553-263671.

The depiction of boars and sows on ancient intaglios, sometimes accompanied by piglets, was a recurring motif in Greek and Roman iconography. The pig was associated with the Greek goddess Demeter (Roman Ceres), deity of harvest, agriculture, and fertility. The sow depicted on this intaglio could be interpreted as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, expressing a wish for abundance bestowed upon the wearer.

Depicted in a contrapposto stance, detailed torso with well-defined musculature, indicative of the idealised human form, carefully rendered drapery cascading over the figure's left shoulder and wrapping around his lower body, the folds of the garment deeply carved; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 33 kg total, 71 cm including stand



Ex Nicolas Koutoulakis (1910-1996), Paris and Geneva, thence by descent. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by a printed copy of the Spanish cultural export licence no.1775-3178156. Accompanied by a copy of a French passport, no.134277. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.13459-260915.

Asclepius, the god of medicine, is a pivotal figure in Greek mythology and was later adopted by the Romans. According to myth, Asclepius was the son of Apollo and the mortal Coronis. Trained by the centaur Chiron, he became a skilled healer, so proficient that he could even bring the dead back to life. His abilities eventually led to his demise at the hands of Zeus, who struck him down with a thunderbolt to maintain the balance between mortals and gods. The Pio-Clementino Museum houses a marble statue of Asclepius in the Octagonal Courtyard. This statue, similar in pose and drapery, provides an excellent comparative study. The National Museum in Athens (Room 28) displays a marble statue of Asclepius, highlighting his characteristic bearded face and draped garments. The British Museum's Greek and Roman Antiquities collection includes a statue of Asclepius (Room 69), illustrating the common attributes and stylistic elements. The Louvre Museum, Paris, in the Department of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities, contains a marble statue of Asclepius in Room 17, showcasing the classical drapery and posture similar to the piece in question.

Cylindrical body perched on a wide, slightly concave foot; the shoulders splayed outwards, leading to a thick trumpet-style rim gently curving upwards. 32 grams, 66 mm wide



Ex S.M. collection, London, UK, 1970-1999. Roman glass from an important London collection, acquired from the early 1980s. Accompanied by a typed previous catalogue information page with provenance.

The shape of this small cup derives from metal vessels of the Early Empire period or from ‘terra sigillata’ earthenware. Similar vessels were found throughout the Empire during the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. Vessels similar to this one have been discovered in the necropolis at Kourion, Cyprus (dating to the first half of the 1st century A.D.), in 1st-century finds from Gaul, and in Egypt, though the specific find spot and date in the latter case remain undetermined.