Description:

Rome, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. Finely cast via the lost wax (cire perdue) process, a proud eagle finial standing upon a bull's head surmounting a rounded, hollow socket with a flared base. The eagle has a curved, pointy beak, wings held back as if about to take off in flight, and very lightly incised feather patterns. To the Romans, the eagle symbolized the god Jupiter as well as the Empire, and served as a powerful motif for legionaries and the military. The bull's head motif is known as bucrania, and it was very popular throughout the ancient world, celebrating the ritual religious practice of sacrificing bulls as well as the symbolism of the bull as a virile, powerful animal. Size: 1.75" W x 2" H (4.4 cm x 5.1 cm)

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection

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#139926

  • Condition: Small loss to base and area of corrosion on one side of base. Otherwise in very nice condition, with light encrustation in the lower profile areas.

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October 25, 2018 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000