Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0144
'The Colchester' Roman Bronze Caduceus Sceptre Finial
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
4 1/8 in. (77 grams, 10.7 cm).
Monofacial openwork finial formed as a serpent entwined and knotted above a pair of spread wings; from a large statue of Mercury (Hermes).
Provenance
Found in Colchester in the 1960s.
From a late gentleman archaeologist’s collection, thence by family descent.
Literature
Cf. similar fragment in the collection of the Louvre, Paris, under accession no. INV 211; Br 553.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine 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.
RELATED LOTS
-
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with the Goddess Spes
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £156
Standing and facing left with her right hand raised an holding a budding flower; inscription in Greek 'KAΛ(OΣ)' (= beautiful) on the left. 0.74 grams, 13 mm
Ex R. Sebastia Coch (1908-1969) collection, Barcelona; thence by descent. English art market, 2018. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00143341.
Spes (Elpis in Greek) was honoured as a goddess since ancient times, but especially during the Empire the cult of the goddess took on a political value, symbolically representing the confident expectation of a happy imperial succession. From Claudius who had her depicted on coins on the occasion of the birth of his son Britannicus, Spes was then defined in epigraphs with the epithet of Augusta, Augusti, Augustorum and also publica or p(opuli)R(omani), to which were added under the Severi the attributes of perpetua(eternal) and firma(firm). -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Centaur
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £72
With intaglio centaur advancing with staff; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 0.60 grams, 10.03 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Terracotta Marble Group
Circa 1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £169
Comprising five spherical marbles. 17 grams total, 13.6-15.7 mm
From the collection of a Buckinghamshire, UK, collector established from the earlier 1960s.
