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LOT 0874
Romano-Parthian Ring with Trader and Seated Child
1ST CENTURY B.C.-1ST CENTURY A.D.
7/8 in. (4.26 grams, 22.90 mm overall, 19.01 x 18.83 mm internal diameter (approximate size British R, USA 8 1/2, Europe 18 3/4, Japan 18)).
With round-section hoop, ellipsoid bezel, intaglio representing a Parthian trader with a child seated. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceUK private collection before 2000.
UK art market.
Property of a London gentleman.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Gold Ring with Amethyst Gemstone with Mercury and Bacchus
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,340
With stepped shoulders and ellipsoid bezel open to the underside, replaced hoop, inset amethyst intaglio depicting Mercury giving the infant Bacchus to the Nymphs; stone broken. 16.40 grams, 24.07 mm overall, 17.91 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M, USA 6, Europe 12.46, Japan 12)
Acquired on the London art market in the 1990s. Thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12108-212230. -
Roman Bronze Mouse Statuette
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
Shown with semi-naturalistic detailing in a crouching posture, eating a nut held in its front paws. 29.2 grams, 40 mm
From a London collection; acquired on the UK and European art markets before 2001. -
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Stone Corbel with Severed Head of a Gallo-Roman
Circa 2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,690
Statue or frieze fragment with male head modelled in the half-round; circular face with large almond-shaped eyes, heavy brow, thick tousled hair framing the face, drooping moustache and short beard; presented at an oblique angle to the lower face of the block; two mounting holes to the underside. 22.8 kg, 43 cm
Found in Norfolk, UK. Acquired from Michael Booth, 1998. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.
The angle of the face in respect of the block suggests that the head is both tilted and detached, i.e. that it is a tête coupé or severed head. The practice of headhunting is documented among the natives of both Gaul and Britain (and elsewhere) in the Iron Age. The head is then considered to have special powers to avert evil and promote fertility, cure disease and provide other benefits. This is the case with the carved head - a male mask with copious hair and beard - from the Roman baths at Bath, Somerset (the ancient Aquae Sulis) which was a site of worship long before the arrival of a Roman presence in the area (Ross, p.91). The head takes on the character of a deity and is believed to respond favourably to prayer.
