EARLY IMPERIAL ROMAN AGATE CUP TRANSFORMED INTO A BYZANTINE GOBLET

Ca. AD 1 - 50 / AD 600 - 800. A finely carved Early Imperial Roman agate cup, dating to the first half of the 1st century AD, with a deep rounded bowl and a broad flaring rim. During the Byzantine period, between the 7th and 8th centuries AD, the vessel was transformed into a luxurious goblet through the addition of a dark grey stone pedestal foot and a gold collar embellished with cabochon gemstones. The identification and interpretation of such ancient hardstone vessels and their subsequent reuse follow the scholarly framework established by Dario Del Bufalo in his landmark monograph Murrina Vasa, a fundamental reference for the study of Roman agate cups, their historical significance and later adaptations into prestigious medieval vessels For similar see: Dario Del Bufalo, Murrina Vasa: A Luxury of Imperial Rome, Rome, L’Erma di Bretschneider, 2016, Bibliotheca Archaeologica 54, Cat. 9, 16, 76. Size: 140mm x 130mm; Weight: 620g Provenance: Prince Collection, 1990s–2014; ex. private collection, 1970s–1990s. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy.

Estimation:€1,192.33

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