Loading, please wait...
LOT 0370
Romano-British Enamelled Bronze Mirror Handle
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
5 in. (94 grams, 13 cm).
Flat in section with crescentic upper end and scrolled lower end, the surface formed with symmetrically placed low-relief palmettes, vine tendrils with grapes and foliage, reserved against the field enamelled in green, dark blue and red.
ProvenanceAcquired in the early 1980s.
with Edward Smith, USA.
From the collection of a Connecticut, USA, collector.
with TimeLine Auctions, 23 May 2017, no.251.
Private American collection, New York, USA.
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.11994-210999.
Cf. Tassinari, S., La vaiselle de bronze, Romaine et Provinciale, au musée des antiquités nationales, Paris, 1975, fig.20, for a similar handle; Mattusch, C.C., Pompeii and the Roman Villa: Art and Culture Around the Bay of Naples, Washington, 2008, item 30, for type; for decoration and similar types in Britain see PAS WMID-3FE965, LVPL-39BCF5,YORYM-20B68C.
FootnotesThis could be an example of a Romano-British bronze and enamel handle from a mirror or patera, similar to some other existing examples in museums. The shape of the handle is similar to one of the famous pateras from Pompeii. Our specimen is decorated with 'Celtic-style' motifs consisting of a curvilinear scrollwork design of turquoise and blue enamel. A bowl with almost identical enamel work was found in Staffordshire, known as 'The Staffordshire Pan' (WMID-3FE965), while a complete patera was excavated in Amiens (known as the Amiens Patera).
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.
-
Iron Age Celtic Bronze Deity Votive Statuette
Circa 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £260
Modelled in the round with curved panels for arms, pierced eye sockets, pinched facial features. 32.1 grams, 50 mm
From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent. -
Iron Age Celtic Bronze Strap Junction with Animal Face
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £130
Modelled in the half-round, stylized features, possibly a lion. 20.1 grams, 44 mm
‘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.
Such strap dividers are thought to date to the late Iron Age, to the late 1st century BC or early 1st century AD. They were used from Celts and Romans (or from the Celt Auxiliaries inside the Roman Army) for horse harness and also by the Essedarii (chariot fighters of Celtic origins) for the horses of their chariots in the Roman Circuses. -
Iron Age Celtic Decorated Gold Ring
Circa 2nd-1st century B.C.Estimate: £800 - 1,000 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £425
Comprising a penannular hoop with tapering ends and panels of rib detailing. 2.42 grams, 22.15 mm overall, 18.58 mm internal diameter (approximate size British N, USA 6 1/2, Europe 13.72, Japan 13)
Acquired on the European art market in the 1980s. Ex property of a professional collector. From the private collection of John Lawton, Surrey, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a previous cataloguing information page.
