Romano-British Mortarium Sherd Group

With C-section profile to the blade, rectangular handle with flare to the upper end, old notch to one edge, repaired. 46 grams, 19 cm



Ex collection Dr. Kuhn-Lucht, Germany. with Kölner Munzkabinett, Cologne, before 2016. Private European collection.

An emblematic instrument of the ancient sporting world, the strigil was mainly used by athletes as a scraper for personal hygiene. After training, which took place in the gymnasiums on tracks and arenas covered with sand, athletes and young people rubbed their skin with olive oil. They then used one of these distinctive scrapers remove the sand-oil mixture before washing in water. These actions are reproduced on famous statues (including Apoxyomenos, one of Lysippus’ masterpieces), on reliefs (such as funerary steles) as well as on countless vase paintings. In Attic and Italian red-figure imagery, the strigil is often depicted on perfume vases, like the aryballos and alabastron.

The god standing nude supporting a cornucopia on his right shoulder and a syrinx in his left hand; ithyphallic with furry legs and short tail; mounted on a custom-made stand. 323 grams total, 16.5 cm including stand



Acquired from Sasson Ancient Art, Jerusalem, Israel, in 2008. From the Keane private collection, Kent, UK. Accompanied by an original signed certificate of authenticity, export approval, and invoice (US $9,500.00), from Sasson Ancient Art. Accompanied by a copy of the Israel Antiquities Authority export licence. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12100-216768

Restrung designer necklace including oblate, biconvex, barrel-shaped and other types. 16.6 grams, 38 cm



Acquired on the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. Ex London, UK, gallery.