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LOT 0165
Superb Romano-British Enamelled Bronze Ring
3RD-4TH CENTURY A.D.
3/4 in. (2.97 grams, 21.66 mm overall, 16.06 x 17.11 mm internal diameter (approximate size British L 1/2, USA 6, Europe 11.87, Japan 11)).
With spurs to the shoulders, domed bezel with central roundel, enamel fill.
ProvenanceFound Norfolk, Southern England.
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1980s.
From an East Anglian private collection.
Accompanied by an old Norfolk Castle Museum record slip.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Bronze Scallop Shell Attachment Pair
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £1,200 - 1,700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £667
Each composed of shell-shaped body with a D-shaped lug to reverse, the lug with tapering spike to the centre. 343 grams total, 12.5 cm each
Private collection, Rosenheim, Germany, 1960s.
This pair could have been used as a double key or door lock, based on comparison with some keys from the territory of Gaul (Boucher, 1971, pp.200-201). They comprised a strong ring with polygonal-section stem and a rectangular point. -
Roman 'Thames' Leather Marching Shoe Sole Group
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,300
With perforations for attachment to the shoe uppers through nails; one fragmentary. 248 grams total, 22.5-24.5 cm
Found by Steve Brooker on the Thames foreshore at Embankment, London, UK, 2001. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman.
Waterlogged conditions on the Thames waterfront have created the oxygen-free environment needed for the survival of ancient organic artefacts. Among the studied or published Roman leatherwork from London, 89% is composed of footwear. The introduction of vegetable tanned leather and the expansion of ironworking were some of the major technological innovations of the Roman period; allowing the mass production of sturdy, hobnailed shoes. -
Roman Lead Sarcophagus Panel with Sphinxes, Dolphins and Masks of Medusa
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £4,420
Decorated with a high-relief pattern comprising sphinxes, dolphins and masks of Medusa in fields between columns; ropework and floral border strips with laurel leaves. 6.4 kg, 41 cm wide
From a West Sussex, UK, collection, 1990s.
There were many ways of burying bodies during the Roman Empire. Although the majority were buried without coffins, there is evidence for wooden coffins, lead-framed wooden coffins, tile burials and lead and stone coffins. This item belongs to types widespread in the Eastern Mediterranean. The panel is decorated with a columned structure, and within each section are symbols of the outer-world, including gorgons, sphinx and dolphins. The sphinx, having a human head and breasts, legs and paws of a lion, and wings of a bird, was generally associated with protecting imperial tombs and temples. The roundels featuring the head of Medusa, known for her potent gazes that could turn one to stone, was favoured on sarcophagi and architectural ornaments because it was believed that her image would protect those within. The dolphin was considered to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. Very often these sarcophagi were connected by a pipe to the ground above so that mourners could pour in offerings into the grave.