Loading, please wait...
LOT 0118
Roman Turquoise Glass Pyxis
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
3 3/8 in. (42 grams, 85 mm high).
With a broadly barrel-shaped body, everted foot and shoulder, domed inverted neck; areas of iridescence; repaired.
ProvenanceAcquired early 1990s.
Ex private American collection; thence by descent.
Private collection since 1998.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum, accession number 2000.5a, b, for a bone pyxis of similar form, dated 1st century A.D; see accession numbers 17.194.238a, b and 25.78.118a, b, for examples of a different form made from glass.
FootnotesOriginally used principally by women to hold cosmetics, jewellery or even poisonous substances, some pyxides have even been identified as ink pots. Most surviving examples are green terracotta examples.
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:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
5th-6th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £94
Featuring an elaborate monogram composed of Greek letters M, A, T and P on three supporting prongs; tapering cylindrical socket. 343 grams, 29.5 cm high
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
Branding stamps or signacula, in particular those with large single letters, were used for marking livestock to identify the owner, the breed, the quality and other features of the animal. These signacula were usually made in bronze, but iron examples are also preserved. -
Roman Lead Coffin Panel with Sphinx, Medusa and Dolphins
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,820
Decorated with patterns comprising sphinxes, dolphins, and masks of Medusa in fields between columns, and floral border strips with laurel leaves. 19.75 kg, 90 cm
Acquired 1970s-early 1990s. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11993-209841.
There were many ways of burying bodies during the Roman Empire. Although the majority were buried without coffins, there is evidence for wooden coffins, lead-framed wooden coffins, tile burials and lead and stone coffins. This item belongs to types widespread in the Eastern Mediterranean. The panel is decorated with a columned structure, and within each section are symbols of the outer-world, including gorgons, sphinx and dolphins. The sphinx, having a human head and breasts, legs and paws of a lion, and wings of a bird, was generally associated with protecting imperial tombs and temples. The roundels featuring the head of Medusa, known for her potent gazes that could turn one to stone, was favoured on sarcophagi and architectural ornaments because it was believed that her image would protect those within. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Very often these sarcophagi were connected by a pipe to the ground above so that mourners could pour in offerings into the grave. -
Large Roman Amber Glass Vessel
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £358
Roughly barrel-shaped amber glass vessel with rounded shoulder and base, slender neck and broad upwards-flaring rim with applied trails to the underside, applied sub-rectangular handle; iridescent surfaces; rim chipped. 188 grams, 19 cm high
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private collection since 1998.
