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LOT 0798
Roman Wall Plaster Fragment Group
CIRCA 1ST CENTURY A.D.
2 1/4 - 3 5/8 in. (494 grams total, 58-91 mm).
Each amorphous fragment displaying one prepared surface and retaining Roman cement to the reverse. [3, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom a North London collection in the 1990s.
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 Marble Head of Dionysus
Circa 2nd century A.D.Estimate: £30,000 - 40,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £15,000
A Roman copy of a Greek original, wearing a crown of leaves and corymbs, hair falling in straight lines underneath the diadem; full beard composed of four rows of thick tufts with drilled holes; slightly open mouth with a fleshy lower lip; low cheekbones and hollow cheeks; large almond-shaped eyes with lachrymal duct; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 15.8 kg total, 48 cm high including stand
Ex private French collection, early 1960s. Acquired by the current owner in 2011. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Marina Mattei and Dr Laura Maria Vigna. Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.129940. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.11791-206395
The head finds comparable parallels with a series of herms representing philosophers, lyricists and the god Hermes, deriving from Greek originals of the 5th century B.C. The reworking of these typologies in a cultured environment is due to the diffusion of sculptures linked to the idea of speculative otium and withdrawal into the bucolic world of which Dionysus was guardian and protector. The typology of the representation associates him with the concept of continuous rebirth and fertility of nature, typical of Dionysus Lenaeus. -
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £80 - 100 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40
Featuring an elaborate monogram composed of Greek letters M and O, supported by decoratively twisted prongs; tapering cylindrical socket. 521 grams, 37.5 cm
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 ownership, the breed, the quality and other features of the animal. The signacula were usually made in bronze, but iron examples are also preserved. -
Roman Silver Bird Statuette
1st-4th century A.D.Estimate: £60 - 80 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £33
Modelled in the round with naturalistic detailing, with two legs held together, likely not a pin finial. 3.63 grams, 21 mm wide
‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.