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LOT 0193
Roman Vessel with Actor's Mask Handle
EARLY 3RD CENTURY A.D.
5 1/4 in. (695 grams, 13.2 cm).
A squat jar in lead-rich copper-alloy with concentric rings to the base, bulbous body, trefoil mouth with egg-and-dart detailing, strap handle with vine-leaf detailing, actor's mask at the lower end and a lion's head with open mouth at the other.
ProvenanceAcquired on the Swiss art market, 2001.
Private European collection.
Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12586-232162.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Exhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 12th March-9th June 2025; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display.
LiteratureCf. Nuber, H.U., Kanne und Griffschale. Ihr Gebrauch im täglichen Leben und die Beigabe in Gräbern der römischen Kaiserzeit, BRGK 53, 1972 (1973), 1–232, pp.45-54 (esp.48-52), fig.7a-d, pl.3, no.2, 4 no.1, 7 nos.1-4; Petrovszky, Studien zu römischen Bronzegefäßen mit Meisterstempeln, Kölner Studien zur Archäologie der Römischen Provinzen 1, Buch am Erlbach 1993, p.112, for jugs with actor’s mask; for examples of Roman jugs in precious metal of this typology represented in Roman art, Mustata, S., The Roman Metal Vessels from Dacia Porolissensis, Cluj-Napoca, 2017, fig.7; for similar specimen in copper-alloy idem, pl.XXIII, and no.30, from Cluj-Napoca.
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 0193
Roman Vessel with Actor's Mask Handle
Estimate £3,000 - 4,000€3,480 - 4,640 (for guidance only)$4,050 - 5,400 (for guidance only)
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Roman Iridescent Glass Vase with Chequered Pattern
2nd-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £211
With a rounded body decorated with a lozenge 'net' motif, broad flared neck, kick-up to base; extensive iridescence, repaired. 49 grams, 11 cm high
Acquired early 1990s. Ex private American collection; thence by descent. Private collection since 1998. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Deep Blue Glass Date Flask
1st century A.D.Estimate: £3,000 - 4,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,667
Mould-blown with elliptical body, short neck and thick everted rim, with modelled wrinkles imitating the texture of a dried date. 41.7 grams, 80 mm
Dr Gonik & Me Wirth, Geneva, 1970s. Private collection, Europe. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12394-226935. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Dates were not only a staple of the Mediterranean diet, used to sweeten food and wine, but also a symbol for the New Year and a fruit often given as a gift on the occasion. -
Roman Bone Gaming Dice Pair
1st-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Each cuboid with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4. 5384 grams total, 12 mm each
Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
