Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 33

Manuscript and Collectibles Auction

Ancient Lamps

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 984		Impressive Bronze Lamp with Theatrical Masquette. Graeco-Roman, Late 1st century BC. - 1st century AD. Finely crafted lamp of near monumental size, on short conical foot. The spout spatulate but rounded, the top sunken and forming a continuous trough between nozzle and the grape cluster-shaped fill-hole. Crowning the c-curve handle is a wonderful theatrical-type female mask, almost Etruscan-looking in appearance -- with long corkscrew curls, "tri-corn cap," and supporting palmette beneath chin. In superb condition, with handsome green and dark olive-gray patina. Length: 9"; Height: 7". Cf. Mitten & Doeringer, Master Bronzes, p. 298, no. 297. A museum quality artifact! Estimated Value $8,000 - 9,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 985		Lamp with Acrobat Riding Horses. Roman Empire, likely Italy, 1st century AD. Round bodied lamp, with wide spatulate mouth and volute neck, no handle, and dark red slip. Discus: a desultor with two galloping horses left. Cf. BMC III Q830. Intact, showing light wear, with at least half of slip remaining. Length: 4". Interesting motif. Handsome and rare. Estimated Value $575 - 675. The desultor was an acrobatic jockey, who rode two horses, jumping from one to the other several times in the course of the race. The desultores generally performed between the featured chariot races. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 986		Nude Hunter or Hero with Spear. Roman Empire, Italy, 1st century AD. Round bodied lamp, with wide spatulate mouth and volute neck, no handle, and deep red-orange slip. Discus: man stands right, brandishing spear (perhaps a venator, or professional hunter). Intact, showing minor wear, with slight repair to nozzle, and about 20% of slip remaining. Length: 4". Choice and attractive, with clear, bold image. Rare. Estimated Value $425 - 500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 987		Lamp with Lion. Roman Empire, Italy, 1st century AD. Round bodied lamp, with wide spatulate mouth and volute neck, no handle, and deep red-orange slip. Discus: a lion runs left. Cf. Deneauve 341. Intact, showing minimal wear, with most of slip remaining. Length: 4". Choice and attractive -- the lamp nearly pristine, with only a little soot staining to show that it was used. Estimated Value $575 - 675. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 988		Lamp with Cupid Standing Amidst Weapons. Roman Empire, Italy, Augustan Period. Round bodied lamp, with spatulate mouth and volute neck, no handle, and dark brown to red slip. Cupid stands left, regarding a helmet, with square shield and sword with large pommel at his feet. Maker's mark underneath: FAVSTI in one line. Sharp -- showing slight wear, but most of slip remains. For related motif, cf. BMC III Q3260; but note Anawati Lamps, C100 (bizarrely described), there the helmet in Cupid's hands clearly gladitorial. Length: 3-13/16". Rare. Estimated Value $575 - 675. Perhaps a gladitorial theme -- Cupid examining the arms of a "Thraex," or he could be regarding the arms of Mars, with whom his mother (Venus) often dallied. The lamp maker Faustus worked in Italy during the time of Augustus, but then appears to have emigrated to Petra, in Syria, afterwards. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 989		Lamp with Display of Gladiator's Weapons. Roman Empire, Italy, 1st century AD. Round bodied lamp, with ovate mouth and volute neck, no handle, and dark brown slip. Most of the implements seem to be those for a thraex. Cf. Rosenthal-Sivan 68 for a more complete armory. Lamp with slight wear, but at least 70% of slip remains. Length: 3-3/8". Clean, sharp lamp! Estimated Value $350 - 450. Cesnola Collection duplicate from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1896. Ex Stanford University Museum de-accession. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $252
Lot 990		Lamp with Lion Attacking Mule. Roman Empire, Italy, Flavian - Trajanic, c. 85-115AD. Round bodied lamp, with ovate mouth and volute neck, no handle, and dark brown slip. Maker's mark underneath: LMADIEC in one line. Sharp -- showing slight wear, but at least 70% of slip remains. Cf. especially, BMC III Q1526; Deneauve 497. Length: 3-5/8". The lion could be a scene from the arena, or a hazard of daily life in some of the provinces. Bold image! Estimated Value $500 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $449
Lot 991		Glazed Lamp with Busts of Serapis and Isis. Roman Empire, perhaps North Africa, 2nd century AD. Round bodied lamp, with hear-shaped spout, grooved fin handle, and dark brown slip. The well-detailed busts face each other; Serapis also radiate. Maker's mark underneath: EXOFICI / NA CV S / ABAONA / ROCIAS in four lines. Intact, showing light wear, with more than half of glaze remaining. Length: 4-1/4". Pleasing provincial work. Estimated Value $350 - 450. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $311
Lot 992		Lamp with Boar Hunt Scene. Roman Empire, perhaps North Africa, 2nd century AD. Round bodied lamp, with heart-shaped spout, fin handle, and red-orange slip. Discus: a man, nude but for cloak, spears a large boar at right; broad patterned border around. Maker's mark: spoked wheel. Intact and showing wear, but discus detail sharp, with much of residual slip visible. Length: 4-3/4". Attractive motif -- perhaps a scene from the myth of the Calydonian Boar. Estimated Value $350 - 450. Rodney Legge Collection Rare. The Calydonian Boar was one of the famous monsters in Greek mythology, and its hunt and demise was a popular subject in classical art. Involved in the story were many of the major Greek heroes of the time: Jason, Theseus, Telamon, Peleus, the Dioscuri, Laertes, Nestor, and the king's own son, Meleager, plus the famed huntress, Atalanta. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $345
Lot 993		Lamp with Scene from the Arena. Roman Empire, perhaps North Africa, 2nd century AD. Round bodied lamp, with heart-shaped spout, grooved fin handle (pierced), and red-orange slip. Discus: a venator runs left, attempting to throw a wild horse (or zebra); broad patterned border around. Maker's mark underneath: three ears of barley in a row. Intact and sharply molded -- showing moderate wear, with much residual slip. Length: 4-3/8". Interesting motif, and quite stylish. Rare. Estimated Value $500 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 994		Lamp with Facing Bust of Satyr. Roman Empire, perhaps North Africa, 2nd century AD. Round bodied lamp, with ovate spout, grooved fin handle (pierced), and red-brown to dark brown slip. The young satyr smirks, with an insoucient air. Maker's mark underneath: C A M in one line. Intact and sharp -- showing slight wear, but more than half of slip remains. Length: 4-1/16". A delightful antiquity! Estimated Value $375 - 475. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 995		Handsome Lamp with Cupid at Play. Roman Empire, North Africa, c. 120-180 AD. Another lamp by by M. Novius Iustus. As previous, but with brick red slip. Cupid sits on the sound box of a cithara, plucking its strings. Maker's mark underneath: MNOVIVS TI in one line. Intact, sharp, and choice, with nearly all of glaze remaining. Cf. BMC II Q1306. Length: 4". An especially fine lamp! Rare in this quality. Estimated Value $750 - 850. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 996		Unusual Lamp Showing Foreigner Playing Tambourine. Roman Empire, North Africa, c. 120-180 AD. Another lamp by by M. Novius Iustus. As previous, but with deep red slip. Bearded "ethnic type," garbed from head to toe dances right, holding up tambourine. Maker's mark underneath: MNOVIVST in one line. Intact, sharp, and choice. Nearly all of glaze remaining, plus some slight, cleanable deposits underneath. Cf. Deneauve 717 (different maker). Length: 4-3/8". Rare and unusual! Estimated Value $800 - 875. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 997		Glazed Lamp with Device of a Long-Tailed Sheep. Roman Empire, North Africa, c. 120-180 AD. Round bodied lamp, with ovate spout, grooved fin handle (pierced), and red-brown slip. A fleecy sheep stands right, sharply detailed. Maker's mark underneath: MNOVIVST / E in two lines, for M. Novius Iustus. Intact and choice, with nearly all of glaze remaining. Cf. Deneauve 762-764. Length: 4". Sharp and appealing. Estimated Value $550 - 650. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 998		Attractive Redware Lamp. North Africa, c. end of 4th to mid 5th century AD. Lamp with fin-like handle, and sunken discus with rimmed trough adjoining spout. At discus, a palm tree of fifteen branches, borderd by raised concentric circles of varying sizes. Cf. Ennabli, Lampes Chrétiennes, no. 771. Well-molded, with sharp details. Lamp intact, with only light use -- showing a little roughness on one side, and a bit of soot staining at the nozzel. Length: 5-3/4", on custom stand. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $288
Lot 999		Lamp with Lion Scene from the Arena. Roman Empire, North Africa, 5th century AD. Thick lamp, with elongated nozzle and continuous trough to discus, fin handle, and attractive red slip. Discus: a partially armored venator (hunter) is pounced on by a lion; ornate rosette and circle border around. Cf. BMC III Q1810. Handsome, with little wear, but restoration to handle. Length: 5-1/2". Very elegant, patterned work for this class of lamp. Rare. Estimated Value $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $518
Lot 1000		Handsome Processional Cross in Bronze and Silver. Byzantine, c. 8th-12 century AD. Cross botonnée: the arms with lobed ends, and a spiked base at the bottom. Bronze pierced, once in each lobe, and a cruciform at center, and set with heavy silver wire, whose ends have been rounded into granules. Intact and finely preserved, with green and brown patina. Much of the silver deeply toned. Height: 8-3/4"; on custom stand. A choice artifact -- the cross form rare, and the silver ornament less common. Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $2,760