Roman Vessel with Actor's Mask Handle. Early 3rd century A.D. A squat jar in lead-rich copper-alloy with concentric rings to the base, bulbous body, trefoil mouth with egg-and-dart detailing, strap handle with vine-leaf detailing, actor's mask at the lower end and a lion's head with open mouth at the other. Cf. Nuber, H.U., Kanne und Griffschale. Ihr Gebrauch im täglichen Leben und die Beigabe in Gräbern der römischen Kaiserzeit, BRGK 53, 1972 (1973), 1–232, pp.45-54 (esp.48-52), fig.7a-d, pl.3, no.2, 4 no.1, 7 nos.1-4; Petrovszky, Studien zu römischen Bronzegefäßen mit Meisterstempeln, Kölner Studien zur Archäologie der Römischen Provinzen 1, Buch am Erlbach 1993, p.112, for jugs with actor’s mask; for examples of Roman jugs in precious metal of this typology represented in Roman art, Mustata, S., The Roman Metal Vessels from Dacia Porolissensis, Cluj-Napoca, 2017, fig.7; for similar specimen in copper-alloy idem, pl.XXIII, and no.30, from Cluj-Napoca. Exhibited at the Harwich Museum, Harwich, Essex, UK, 12th March-9th June 2025; accompanied by a copy of a photograph of the artefacts on display. 695 grams, 13.2 cm (5 1/4 in.). (For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price.)

Acquired on the Swiss art market, 2001. Private European collection. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12586-232162. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

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