ASTA 267 - GLITTICA

AN EASTERN ROMAN BANDED AGATE BEAD IN A SHAPE OF A BIRD.

1st-4th century A.D.

Maximum lenght 30 mm

Representing a stylized little bird with closed wings and a long tail similar to a finch. Traces of deposit. Pierced lengthwise.

For similar agate birds, Animals in Ancient Art from the Leo Mildenberg Collection, n°74-76

Provenance: U.K private collection

A MURRINA MINIATURE COSMETIC JAR.

Probably 1st century B.C. - 1st century A.D.

H 24 x 41 mm

With rounded body and wide disc flat rim off set from the shoulders, with two perforated horizontal lug handles. The vessel form is typical from the Egyptian predynastic jar. Beautiful choice of the stone variety, rich of unusual inclusions and verrucae. Wear marks.

Parallels: Dario Del Bufalo. Murrina Vasa. A luxury of Imperial Rome. Bibliotheca Archaeologica, 54 2016

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LOT OF 2 AGATE INTAGLIOS. PORTRAIT OF AN EMPRESS AND A BUST OF HERMES.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.

11x14x3 mm; 14x17,5x4 mm

The emperess is facing right, the hairstyle and portrait features are referable to Plautina. The god is facing left, his caduceus behing the shoulder. Wear marks on the surface of the stone.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LOT OF 2 LATE ROMAN HEMATITE AND SILVER INTAGLIOS; EAGLE WITH CROSS AND AN ALLEGORICAL SCENE.

2nd - 4th century A.D.

12x12,5x2,5 mm; diam 11,5x2 mm

The eagle is standing, the wings wide-spreaded. On top a cross. Groundline. Traces of iron deposits. Wear marks on the surface of the stone. The silver impression depicts Zeus metamorphosis in eagle. Rare.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LOT OF 2 EASTERN ROMAN GREEN CHALCEDONY AND AGATE INTAGLIOS. OMPHALE - NIKE.

2nd century A.D.

7x12x3 mm; 9x13x2 mm

The female figure is facing right, holding the club with the lion skin on the shoulders; The winged Victory is holding the laurel wreath and the palm branch. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A GROUP OF 5 EASTERN AGATE BEADS, INTAGLIO AND CAMEO.

Roman period and later

Min. 8,5x9x5 mm; Max. 14x18x6 mm

From left to right; agate cameo with Gorgone mask, a Roman gold pendant set with an agate eye-bead; a Roman three-layered agate intaglio with a rabbit; two Bactrian agate eye-beads.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LOT OF 19 AGATE, JASPER, CHALCEDONY INTAGLIOS. VARIA.

Roman period and later

Min. 9x11x2 mm; Max. 15x17x7 mm

- A Roman agate intaglio: ritual scene with young male and snake; a Roman agate intaglio with Eros riding roosters; a Roman intaglio with Victory holding a laurel wreath; a Roman agateintaglio with Victory holding an ear of corn; a Roman agate intaglio with ???; a carnelian intaglio with a bearded male portrait facing left; a Roman garnet intaglio with Apollo portrait facing left; a Roman carnelian intaglio with gryllos; a gnostic yellow japser intaglio with lion,crescent moon and inscription; an Eastern Mediterranenan agate intaglio with Pegasus; a Roman carnelian intaglio with a character holding ear of corns; a Roman agate intaglio with Athena Nikephora standing right; a Roman hematite intaglio with emblema; a dark jasper intaglio with Sphinx; a Roman dark jasper intaglio with animal; a Roman prasium intaglio with winged panther; a Roman carnelian intaglio with Victory; intaglio with horse.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A GROUP OF ROMAN INTAGLIOS (12 ELEMENTS). VARIA.

1st-3rd century A.D.

min. 7x9x3 mm; max 14x18x8 mm

From left to right; a fragmentary bronze ring set with a jasper intaglio, male character; a fragmentary bronze ring set with an intaglio; a fragmentary bronze ring set with a gnostic hematite intaglio; an agate intaglio with a goddess; a carnelian intaglio with a priestress and astrological symbols; a glass impression with Jupiter as a bull and Europe; a gnostic impression with Harpocrates and Thot as a baboon; a bronze plauq e with Helios head; a red jasper intaglio with an ibis providing his feeding her birds with a snake; an amethyst intaglio with two characters facing each other; a green chalcedony intaglio with a goddess; a carnelian intaglio with a female character.

Provenance: Formerly collection Jean-Alain Mariaud de Serres, Parism 1960-1980's. This lot is sold under temporary import status.

A ROMAN GOLD RING WITH A PLAIN NICOLO.

2nd - 3rd century A.D.

Stone 7x10 mm; int. Size 12x14 mm; 7,38 gr

With rounded hoop expanding upwards and ending with an oval bezel set with a nicolo. Beautiful conservation. Wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A LATE ROMAN GOLD RING SET WITH A NICOLO INTAGLIO. GREEK INSCRIPTION.

3rd-4th century A.D.

Stone 9x10 mm; 11,65 gr; int. size 14x16 mm

The hoop has a sharply keeled form with simple linear engraved decoration, and lines and profiled edges to the foliated shoulders forming a stylised palmette design. The large oval bezel is set with a nicolo intaglio engraved with a Greek name (?) « LILKEZ ». Wear marks. Scratches on the surface of the mounting.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A ROMAN GOLD RING WITH AN AGATE INTAGLIO. EMBLEMA WITH A MOUSE.

1st - 2nd century A.D.

Stone 11x13 mm; int. size 17x18 mm; 9,05 gr

With rounded hoop, flatten within and expanding upwards on the shoulders and surmounted by an oval bezel containing an agate intaglio; mouse facing left inside laurel wreath. Wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A ROMAN AGATE INTAGLIO SET IN A MODERN GOLD RING. INSCRIPTION.

1st - 2nd century A.D.

Stone 11x14 mm; int. size 17,5x22 mm; 16,94 gr

Inscription from right to left, on three registers: PART-HENIAE-VITA. Olive branch. Wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A ROMAN AGATE INTAGLIO SET IN A MODERN GOLD RING. INSCRIPTION.

2nd century A.D.

Stone 11x14 mm; int. size 16x18 mm; 19,03

Three layered truncated conical stone, with a small retrograde inscription: INDIX. Slight wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A LATE ROMAN GOLD RING SET WITH EMERALD AND SAPPHIRE CABOCHON STONES.

3rd century A.D.

Length max 26 mm; int size 16x18,5 mm; 15,13 gr.

Large hoop expanding upwards with incised decoration on the outside with leaves patterns and set symetrically on each side with a cabochon emerald and saphhire. Very good overall condition, wear marks on the mounting and traces of deposits.

For a similar typology see: MARSHALL, F.H., Catalogue of Finger Rings Greek, Etruscan & Roman in the Departments of Antiquities, British Museum

Provenance: U.K. private collection acquired on the art market.

A ROMAN SILVER RING WITH THE ENGRAVED BEZEL.

3rd century A.D.

Bezel 9x14 mm; int. Size 14x18 mm; 8,70 gr

With rounded hoop, flatten within and extending proturding shoulders, surmounting an oval bezel with grooved border and engraved with latin inscription: SΛΒΛ/ SABA (probably a name).

For a similar silver ring see: F.H. Marshall, Catalogue of the Finger Rings, n°635

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

AN EARLY MEDIEVAL SILVER RING WITH SKULL HEADS AND CENTRAL GILDED EMBLEMA.

7th century A.D.

Int. size 17x18 mm; 5,08 gr

With rounded hoop expanding upwards and ending with an oval bezel with molded central gilded emblema (stem ?) framed by stylized skull heads. Wear marks. Rare.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A ROMAN GOLD RING WITH A PLAIN BEZEL.

3rd century A.D.

Bezel 7x9 mm; int. Size 15x18 mm; 6,50 gr

With flat hoop strongly projecting on either side below the faceted shoulders. With an oval plain gold setting. Wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A ROMAN GOLD RING WITH THE ENGRAVED BEZEL. INSCRIPTION.

3rd century A.D.

Bezel 8x9,5 mm; int. Size 17x21 mm; 12,10 gr

With flat hoop strongly projecting on either side below the faceted shoulders. With an oval setting engraved with an inscription: "ΧΑΛ-ΚΙΔΙ". Wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A BYZANTINE GOLD RING WITH THE ENGRAVED BEZEL. MONOGRAM.

4th-6th century A.D.

Bezel 11 mm; int. Size 16x18 mm; 16,55 gr

With massive rounded hoop, flatten within and pierced under the rounded raised bezel with grooved section and engraved with a monogramm. Wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the french art market.

A LARGE SAXON GOLD RING WITH BREADED SHANK AND BLUE CHALCEDONY, GARNETS AND GLASS PASTE ON THE BEZEL.

7th to 9th century A.D.

Bezel 18x23 mm; int. Diam. 21 mm; 12,00 gr

With rounded bezel composed of braided gold wires surmounting an oval gold box-setting. At the junction on each side, three spherical gold beads. The box setting is inlaid with semi-spherical garnet, in the center a chalcedony disc, and dark glass mixed with gold dust, all divided in section by hammered gold plates.

Provenance: Formerly in the Andrew Green Wakefield, Collection U. Zweifel, 1985; From a private collection, Canada, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A MODERN GOLD RING AFTER THE ANTIQUE. SILENUS RIDING A PHALLUS.

20th century or later.

Bezel diam. 19 mm; int. Size 16,5x18 mm; 11,48 gr

With rounded hoop surmounted by a rounded bezel engraved with a Silenus riding a phallus mounting toward left. Wear marks.

Provenance: From a private collection, France, acquired on the art market in the early 2000s

A POSTCLASSICAL ROCK CRYSTAL INTAGLIO SET IN A GOLD RING. EROS RIDING A PHALLUS.

19th - 20th century or later.

Stone 14x18 mm; int. size 15x16 mm; 17,76 gr.

A winged Eros is holding a bow and arrow, riding a phallus facing left with two animal legs and a curled tail. Branch and ground line. Wear marks.

Provenance: U.K collection acquired on the art market

A MODERN EASTERN REVIVAL GOLD PENDANT SET WITH A LARGE CARNELIAN INTAGLIO. BUSTS OF HELIOS AND SELENE.

20th century or later

Stone 25x32 mm; 12,89 gr

The two busts are facing each other: on the left, Selene with the crescent moon; on the right, Helios with the radiated head. The gold mounting is characterized by a double twisted elements frame.

Provenance: U.K. private collection

A LARGE POSTCLASSICAL CHALCEDONY INTAGLIO. TWO BUSTS WITH A SMALL NAISKOS.

Probably 16th - 17th century

38x52x3 mm

On the left, bust of Zeus Serapis, on the right, bust of Isis; in the centre, a small naiskos with inside a tripod containing palm fronds. Below, Greek inscription. Revival of ancient models.Large stone. Small chip on the edge. Slight wear marks.

Provenance: European collection, acquired on the market, early 2000's.