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LOT 0684
Stone Minerva Statuette House Altar
ROMAN, 2ND-4TH CENTURY A.D. OR LATER
8 3/8 in. (5.3 kg, 21.2 cm high).
Square-section with stepped base, gussetted collar and two parallel bars to the upper face; inscribed 'DEAE.MINERV[AE] / LVCIVS.PLAC[IDUS] / VITELLI.FIL[IVS].V[OTUM] / S[OLVIT].L[IBENS].M[ERITO]' (to the goddess Minerva, Lucius Plac[idus] son of Vitellius, discharges the vow freely, as is deserved); the inscription highlighted in crimson. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom 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.
Cf. Graham, F., Hadrian's Wall in the days of the Romans, Newcastle upon Tyne, 1984, pp.71, 78, 187.
FootnotesVotive inscriptions follow a set pattern, since they were dedicated to a god or goddess to thank them for something they had done in response to a prayer. The person dedicating the stone would have previously promised to do this if the god answered their prayer. The formulation V.S.L.M. (votum solvit libens [or libenter] merito = in willing fulfilment of a vow) is attested for example at Bath, or on the Arae of the Hadrian's Wall.
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 Inked Wooden Legal Document
Late 4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
With a recessed panel on one side and scored frame with securing hole to one long side; seven lines of inked text in Roman cursive containing the record of a legal document in a formulaic legal language; two part-lines of cursive text to reverse; supplied with two monochrome photographs of the tablet displaying the text to advantage. 19.91 grams, 12.5 x 7.5 cm
From an important London collection since 1975. Accompanied by a collection of two 1970s photographs of the the tablet. -
Roman Bronze Genius Statuette
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Modelled standing, wearing a loosely draped himation hanging from the right shoulder, the folds gathered at the left forearm raised to support a patera; mounted on a custom-made stand. 118 grams total, 96 mm including stand
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.
A genius was a local spirit or supernatural helper whose favour could be requested with a libation or small offering. -
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Roman Marble Head of Euripides
2nd century A.D.Estimate: £18,000 - 24,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £10,000
An impressive carved herm of the tragic author of the tragic author Euripides, portrayed as an elderly man with full beard and long hair forming compact, slightly wavy strands, radiating from a single point at the back of the head and combed forwards over the forehead; heavy brow and small mouth; cracked and repaired. 7.46 kg, 25 cm
English private collection, acquired in the late 1970s/early 1980s. David Cambridge, Cheltenham. with Galerie Chenel, Paris, acquired from the above in 1998. French private collection, acquired from the above in 1999/2000. Ancient Marbles, Classical Sculpture and works of art; Sotheby's, London, 13 June 2016, no.49. 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.12191-222443.
Euripides was a classical Athenian playwright and one of the three great tragedians of ancient Greece, alongside Aeschylus and Sophocles. Born in 480 B.C., his work is renowned for its complex characters and psychological depth, often exploring the darker aspects of human nature and societal norms. Euripides' plays, such as Medea, The Bacchae, and Hippolytus, are marked by their innovative use of mythological themes to comment on contemporary issues.
