| Ancient Metal Work |  |
|
| Roman (Nemausus?), Bronze Phallic Amulet, 2nd Century A.D. |   | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
"The Worship of the Generative Powers" by Thomas Wright (1866) discusses phallic worship, which appears to have flourished across the Empire, especially at Nemausus, modern Nimes in the south of France. At Nemausus the symbols of this worship appeared in bizzare fanciful sculptures on the walls of its amphitheater and on other buildings. An engraving from Wright's book depicts a Roman bas relief found on a monument at Nimes in 1825. Click here to see the image, in which the penis forms the tail of a crested bird who sits upon a nest of egg-like vulvas. Perhaps our amulet is related to the worship at Nemausus? |
| AS36085. Bronze erotic phallic amulet; 4 cm long; male figure (a squirrel?), arms together out front, standing on large erect phallus (the squirrel's tail?), Superb, very strange!; of greatest rarity; $1470.00 (€1131.90) |
| Roman Bronze Vessel Handle, Ornamented With Bacchus and a Panther, c. 1st Century A.D. |  | The Panther was the companion of Bacchus. The grapevine and its wild barren alter-ego, the toxic ivy plant, were both sacred to him. This handle was once attached to vessel used for serving or drinking wine. |
| AI30971. height 8.0 cm (3"), excellent condition with a nice green patina, bronze vessel handle ornamented with a facing young head of Bacchus wearing an ivy wreath in his long flowing hair, panther skin tied at neck, the curving handle ends with a panther head; $1305.00 (€1004.85) |
| Roman Republic, Bronze Askos Pitcher, 1st Century B.C. |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
An askos is an assymetric vessel imitating the shape of a leather wine-skin, with an off-center mouth, convex top, and single arching handle. |
| AY36080. Bronze askos; cf. Hayes ROM 112-113, MFA Boston, Comstock/Vermeule 470-1, 9.6 cm high, long projecting spout pinched at sides, handle with vegetable decoration at ends, spherical body, short pedestal base; mounted on wood base, complete, handle reconstructed; $1200.00 (€924.00) |
| 5" Egyptian Bronze Figure of Osiris, 26th - 30th Dynasty, 664 - 342 B.C. |  | |
| AB31065. Egyptian bronze figure of the god Osiris in mummified form wearing Atef-crown with Uraeus, height 13.0 cm (5"), Choice, braided beard curved at the tip, holding the royal regalia crock and flail; two-sided, loop on back; excellent detail, original patina; $1120.00 (€862.40) |
| 5" Egyptian Bronze Figure of Osiris, 26th - 30th Dynasty, 664 - 342 B.C. |  | |
| AB31082. Egyptian bronze figure of the god Osiris in mummified form, Choice, wearing Atef-crown with Uraeus, braided beard curved at the tip, holding the royal regalia crock and flail; two-sided; excellent detail, original patina, height 13.6 cm (5 1/8"); $1120.00 (€862.40) |
| 4" Egyptian Bronze Figure of Osiris, 26th - 30th Dynasty, 664 - 342 B.C. |  | |
| AB30992. Egyptian bronze figure of the god Osiris in mummified form wearing Atef-crown with Uraeus, height 10.6 cm (4 1/8"), Choice, braided beard curved at the tip, holding the royal regalia crock and flail; one-sided (flat reverse); nice detail, original patina; $1120.00 (€862.40) |
| Roman, Bronze Repousse Plaque with Centaur Holding a Bow, Lorica Sqaumata Armor Plate(?), c. 1st - 3rd Century B.C. |  | Likely used in some legionary application; perhaps as a lorica squamata legionary armor plate segment. |
| AA59779. Roman, bronze repousse, 1.75 x 1.75 inches, c. 1st - 3rd century A.D.; sheet bronze hammered from behind in repousse technique to raise the figure of a centaur holding a bow, remains of two rivet holes where it was attached, tear on body, rare and interesting; from a New Jersey collection; $1000.00 (€770.00) |
| Roman, Bronze Patera Handle, c. 1st - 3rd Century A.D. |  | A patera was a plate used by Roman priests to make sacrificial offerings to the Gods. Paterae were thin and most often have been lost to corrosion leaving only the handle remaining. |
| AA59776. Roman, bronze patera handle, c. 1st - 3rd century A.D., 5.6", heavy fluted handle terminating in a collar from which a ram's head with curled horns emerges; from a New Jersey collection; rare; $850.00 (€654.50) |
| Germany, Iron Mace Head, Late Medieval, 1400 - 1500 |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years. |
| AW36874. Heavy metal mace head, ball with five protruding rounded points to the back is a loop for suspension, 10.1 cm long; black patina with some rust, Choice, $810.00 (€623.70) |
| Roman, Round Silver Appliqué, 1st - 2nd Century A.D. |  | ex Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome de-acquisition, circa 1950’s, ex Ran Ryan, Rome 1974. From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
|
| AI36082. Round silver appliqué; 5 cm diameter; flower of semi-circles swirled around a center dot in the center, Choice, framed by an inner dot circle and linear circle inner border, a wreath of two tendrils of leaves and berries around, and another dot circle and linear circle border outside the wreath; black toning; very rare; $550.00 (€423.50) |
| Roman, Round Silver Appliqué, 1st - 2nd Century A.D. |  | ex Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome de-acquisition, circa 1950’s, ex Ran Ryan, Rome 1974. From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
A cabochon or cabachon, from the Middle French caboche (head), is a gemstone which has been shaped and polished as opposed to faceted. The resulting form is usually a convex top with a flat bottom (dome shape). |
| AI36083. Silver appliqué; 8.8 cm diameter, flat round center surrounded by a circle of two light blue glass, a clear crystal and four carnelian cabochons, Collectible condition, one stone missing, dark toning; probably the outer shell of a box lid; very rare; $550.00 (€423.50) |
| Roman Bronze Herm Figural Chest Hasp, 1st - 3rd Century A.D. |  | See http://romanlocks.com/index.htm for similar hasps and an excellent website on Roman locks. |
| AB30962. Bronze chest hasp in the form of a youthful herm figure with nice facial features, length 11 cm (4 1/4"), excellent condition, bare chest, incised decorative band with modeled male genitalia adorns the midsection, hing loop at back of the top and lock bolt slot at the back of the base; $495.00 (€381.15) |
| Roman, Silver Jewelry Appliqué, 1st - 2nd Century A.D. |  | ex Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome de-acquisition, circa 1950’s, ex Ran Ryan, Rome 1974. From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
|
| AI36081. Silver plaque appliqué; 4 x 5 cm, Collectible condition, clear crystal or glass cabochon in the center surrounded by a circle of pierced dots, floret pattern of eight pierced dots to the left and right, ornate rim with a zigzag line with pierced dots in the angles; toned; very rare; $495.00 (€381.15) |
| Greek Bronze (Krater) Handle, Ornamented With a Panther Head, c. 400 B.C. |  | The Panther was the companion of Bacchus. This handle was probably once attached to a krater, a punch-bowl type vessel used for diluting and serving wine. The earliest kraters were bronze and almost exclusively the volute-type. Very few bronze kraters have survived. Most often only the handles remain. |
| AG30977. height 8.0 cm (3"), bronze (krater?) handle with panther head emerging from acanthus; $480.00 (€369.60) |
| Israel, Iron Plow Point, Iron Age, Time of Judges to the Divided Kingdom, 1200 - 586 B.C. |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years. |
| AW36808. Iron plow point; Beersheba 1:43-46, Lachish V 77, Malloy Artifacts of Ancient Civilizations 578; 10 ½ inches long; long narrow blade with open socket, Choice, $470.00 (€361.90) |
| Roman, Millefiori Enamelled Brooch, 2nd Century A.D. |  | Probably made in the Rhineland but found in the Middle East.
Despite the corrosion and damage, this is a museum quality piece because of the superb quality of the original workmanship. |
| AS34494. cf. Hattatt's Ancient Brooches and Other Artifacts 1600 (overall shape) and Figure 75 (similar millefiori); 5 cm (2") long, symmetrical "equal ended" design, central raised rectangle, triangle ends, periferal lugs, tiny millefiori enamelling with checkerboards, rosetts, stripes and concentric circles; corrosion, hole in side, pin missing, reassembled from two pieces; rare; $450.00 (€346.50) |
| Celtic, Bronze Gouge, c. Early 1st Millennium B.C. |  | |
| AL61830. Celtic, Bronze Gouge; 4.3", socketed tool with concave section towards tip, rarer than the axes; from a New Jersey collection, $450.00 (€346.50) |
| Indus Valley, Bronze Combination Cloak Pin and Mirror, c. 1st Millenium B.C. |  | Bronze mirrors preceded the glass mirrors of today. This type of mirror has been found by archaeologists among elite assemblages from various cultures, from Etruscan Italy to China. In the Indus valley civilization, manufacture of bronze mirrors goes back to 2800 to 2500 B.C. |
| AA59777. Indus Vally, Bronze Pin/Mirror, c. 1st Millenium B.C., 3.25 x 11 inches, mirror with polished circular face with long pin handle, nice example, from a New Jersey collection, purchased from a European dealer (c. 1980's); very rare; $430.00 (€331.10) |
| Roman, Lion Plate Brooch, c. 2nd Century A.D. |  | Zoomorphic brooches were most popular in the 2nd century A.D. |
| AA40491. cf. Hattatt 1194 and 1195 (both lion brooches but not very similar); 4.2 x 2.8 cm, lion left, with head facing; complete and intact, hing pin frozen; $355.00 (€273.35) |
| Roman, Bronze Handle, 4th - 5th Century A.D. |  | The style exhibits central European influence, perhaps Gaul, Goth or Germanic. |
| AA59778. Roman bronze handle, 1.7 inches; terminus in the form of a bird with detail on both sides, nice; from an New Jersey collection, $300.00 (€231.00) |
| Roman, Large Iron Borer or File, 1st - 3rd Century A.D. |  | Another piece from the same group as this borer was dated by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to 120 A.D. with a probable range of 80 A.D. - 160 A.D. Testing was done using an innovative technique which measures the carbon isotope ratio of the trace carbon in the iron. This carbon comes from the wood used in the production of the iron which must be of essentially the same age as the tool itself. Results were published in the journal, Radiocarbon, Summer 2001. |
| AE61804. Roman borer, cf. Petrie, 'Tools and Weapons', plate LXV, #40; 7 inches, indent at one end for attaching handle, $300.00 (€231.00) |
| Roman, Bronze Bird Fibula, c. 3rd - 5th Century A.D. |  | |
| AE61829. Roman fibula; cf. Hattatt BOA 1156 - 1159; 1.25 inches, pin missing; from a New Jersey collection, c. 3rd - 5th Century A.D.; $300.00 (€231.00) |
| Egyptian, Bronze Fish, Late Period, c. 712 - 30 B.C. |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years. |
| AG33412. Bronze figure of a fish, wearing Uraeus and Solar disc headdress; looped for stringing; mounted on clear Lucite; heavy rough green patina, $225.00 (€173.25) |
| Roman, Bronze Mirror Disc, 1st - 2nd Century A.D. |  | Ex Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome de-acquisition, c. 1950’s; ex Ran Ryan, Rome 1974; from the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia is a museum in Rome principally devoted to antiquities of the pre-Roman period from ancient Umbria, Latium, and southern Etruria. It is housed in the Villa Giulia, or Villa di Papa Giulio (Pope Julius), which was built in the mid-16th century for Pope Julius III and has housed the museum since 1889. |
| AI36100. Bronze Göbl MIRror disc; 4 3/4 inches diameter; thick green patina, Choice, $225.00 (€173.25) |
| Roman, Bronze Lozenge Shaped Stepped Brooch, c. 2nd Century A.D. |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
Appears to be from the same workshop as the referenced Hattatt brooch, which was found in Britain. |
| AS36059. Bronze stepped brooch, cf. Hattatt BoA, 1085; cf. Malloy Auction LXI, May, 9, 2001, # 1241; 28 mm long; finely made, Choice, diamond shape, without lugs, enamel diamond in center, stepped levels with incised lines, hinged pin, rear hollowed hemispherically; complete with pin, two holes from corrosion; rare without lugs; $200.00 (€154.00) |
| Roman, Bronze Tweezers, 2nd - 4th Century A.D. |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
|
| AI36108. Bronze tweezers; cf. Malloy, Official Guide to Artifacts of Ancient Civilizations, 1997, 1775; 2 inches long, Intact and choice, $200.00 (€154.00) |
| Roman, Bronze Oinochoe (Jug) Handle, 1st - 2nd Century A.D. |  | Ex Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome de-acquisition, c. 1950’s; ex Ran Ryan, Rome 1974; from the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia is a museum in Rome principally devoted to antiquities of the pre-Roman period from ancient Umbria, Latium, and southern Etruria. It is housed in the Villa Giulia, or Villa di Papa Giulio (Pope Julius), which was built in the mid-16th century for Pope Julius III and has housed the museum since 1889. |
| AI36094. Bronze handle; 8 ½ inches long; palmette and scroll pattern at base terminal, green patina, Choice, $190.00 (€146.30) |
| Pre-Roman Italy, Italic-Umbrian, Bronze Warrior Amulet, 5th Century B.C. |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years. |
| AS36077. Italic-Umbrian warrior amulet; cf. Comstock & Vermeule #206, cf. Reine Margot 1990-91 #75; Malloy, Auction Sale XLV March 19, 1997, #1487; 29mm long, Choice, highly-stylized standing figure of Mars; complete, cracked; very rare; $170.00 (€130.90) |
| Etruscan or Roman, Bronze Jug Handle, 3rd Century B.C. - 2nd Century A.D. |  | Ex Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia, Rome de-acquisition, c. 1950’s; ex Ran Ryan, Rome 1974; from the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
|
| AI36093. Bronze jug handle; 7 inches long; single twisted bar handle ending at base with triangle leaf, turned in loop at top, green patina, Choice, $170.00 (€130.90) |
| Roman, Ornate Bronze Column Krater Handle, 1st - 2nd Century A.D. |  | From the collection of Alex G. Malloy, former dealer in antiquities for 40 years.
The column krater vessel form, somewhat similar to a modern punch bowl, is named for its typically column like handles. This handle perfectly fits the "column-like" description. The two curved Corinthian style column-like parts of the handle have floral ornamented bases which were attached to the vessel's shoulder. The "columns" are topped with capital-like acanthus leaves ornamentation. The "capitals" attach to a horizontal entablature-like part of the handle, which connects the two "columns" and completes the handle. The "entablature" is decorated with a reapeating pattern of tounge shaped dentils. The "entablature" was also attached to the flat everted rim of the Krater's mouth, and was the part the that was held by the fingers. A picture is worth a thousand words, so we suggest also looking a the photo of the column krater in NumisWiki (click the word krater).
The Greeks and the Romans usually drank wine diluted with water. The term "krater" comes from the Greek verb meaning "to mix," and the vessels were used for mixing wine and water.
The body of a bronze krater was very thin bronze, so few survive today. Because the handles were thicker and cast, they are often all that is left of the original vessel.
|
| AI36084. Column krater handle; 9.5 cm wide; Corinthian architectural form and ornamentation; complete and intact, fine quality, Superb, very rare; $165.00 (€127.05) |
OUR FINEST COINS ARE LISTED FIRST. CLICK TO THE LAST PAGE FOR OUR BARGAINS.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FROM THIS CATEGORY - FORVM's PRIOR SALES
|
