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LOT 0683
'The Kempsey' Roman Bronze Military Eagle Statuette
CIRCA 43-410 A.D.
3 in. (180 grams total, 76 mm high including stand).
Modelled in the round as a standing eagle with its wings spread, the overlapping wingtips covering the short tail; incised feather detailing to the body and wings, wide head with detailed eyes, remains of a military insignia (a victory wreath or fish?) held in its hooked beak; mounted on a custom-made display stand. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFound Kempsey, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, UK.
Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.WAW-19C7C8.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
See Portable Antiquities Scheme nos. HAMP-5ED544, WAW-7EC54A and DENO-323D62, for similar examples; Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 268.
FootnotesBoth Ovid and Plutarch place the inception of manipular ensigns with Romulus, where bundles (manipuli) of hay were tied to high poles which served as rallying points for units of the army. Eventually, icons of animals replaced these ensigns: the eagle, wolf, Minotaur, horse, and boar. In 107 B.C., Gaius Marius made sweeping military reforms and the Aquila became the sole standard of the legion, which according to (Pliny NH. 10.5.16) ‘By making the Aquila the standard for all legions improved unity and gave soldiers a symbol that expressed their attachment to an all-encompassing body, to which the soldiers’ loyalty could be directed’. Due to its place at the head of each legion, it became the emblem of the Roman legions, which enforced Roman rule in the provinces, giving the eagle its connotation of dominion.
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Roman Terracotta Female Figure on Pedestal Base
2nd century B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £845
Dressed in voluminous robes with pleating to the undergarment, the figure depicted in contrapposto position with her weight on the left leg and right leg bent at the knee, a square pillar flanking the right leg; both arms raised with the open palms facing upwards; standing on a square pedestal; hollow form. 266 grams, 22 cm
Ex London gallery, UK, 1980s. Ex private UK collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The figure represents a woman caught in the act of offering; originally, she probably had a patera and a gift in the other hand. The statuette has a plain back as it probably was intended to be placed in a shrine inside a votive deposit. In the now empty space there could have been a name and a painted dedication. -
Large Roman Bronze Military Mount
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Composed of a central domed boss and openwork volutes to the sides; for a sword belt or a chariot, one corner separated. 69 grams, 14 cm wide
Good condition, very rare
Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In the 3rd century A.D. the sword (spatha) was mainly carried suspended from a broad baldric usually on the soldier’s left side. This sword’s shoulder belt, visible on many monuments related to the 3rd century, was composed from a leather strap, reinforced on the rims. The four specimens of Vimose provided valuable information about the shape of the baldric: one end was broad and finished in a straight edge, the other tapered to a narrow strip. They were decorated with silver disks (phalerae) of circa 6.4 cm of diameter, with rings on the reverse for fastening. These phalerae were of different shapes, styles and decorations: we can observe a range from simple copper-alloy discs to bronze openwork pieces fitted with a plate or an openwork disc showing elaborate figures. They were usually attached at about 29-30 cm from the wider and squared top of the baldric. One of the finial parts of the baldric was in fact very wide and ended with a straight edge, upon which could be placed a hinged rectangular openwork terminal plate (like our specimen), attached to a belt terminal pendant. The lack of holes for the attachment rivets in our specimen could also support the thesis that the piece is not for a baldric, but a mount for cart or chariot as some examples in a similar style found in Roman North Africa. -
Roman Iridescent Glass Juglet
1st-2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £137
Bulbous body and short neck with everted rim, applied handle and pontil to base. 23.9 grams, 58 mm
Acquired from older English collections via the UK art market since the mid 1970s. From the private collection of Peran Dachinger, thence by descent. From the family collection of a Maida Vale lady, UK. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
