Roman Schist Dolphin
1st-2nd century A.D. A carved schist dolphin figure with stylised detailing to the fins and face; mounted on a custom-made display stand. Cf. Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques de Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, item 284, for type. 30 grams total, 59 mm long (58 mm high including stand) (2 1/4 in). Acquired 1970s-1996.Property of a North American collector.London collection, 2016. The dolphin was among the animals sacred to Aphrodite, but in Graeco-Roman mythology it was also considered to be the animal accompanying the souls of the dead into the afterlife. [No Reserve]