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R32 |
Roman rare bronze bowl decorated with fishing scenes |
£700 |
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A very unusual repousse bronze bowl extensively decorated with fishing scenes and marine life. The decoration consists of two fishermen, one standing and throwing a net, the other seated with a rod and line (a brace of fish hang in the background above his rod). Both figures are fishing in the sea as is amply demonstrated by the depictions of various marine creatures including at least eight fish, a scallop, a cuttlefish, a crab, a prawn and an octopus! Below the seated fisherman's rod is an unidentified conical object which may represent a fire used to attract prey during night-fishing. Both fishermen are wearing wide-rimmed hats to protect them from the sun, the seated figure is draped while the standing net-thrower wears only a loin-cloth. The seated fisherman has a fish on the end of his line. Fishing scenes are not common in Roman art and mostly appear in the form of mosaics though these tend to focus on exotic depictions such as fishing or hunting along the Nile; this piece is particularly interesting as it appears to show working-class Romans going about their day-to-day trade rather than a leisure activity. The light construction of the bowl and pierced rim (in three places) would suggest that it was made for hanging and it is tempting to imagine that it formed part of a fish-trader's weighing scales or perhaps some sort of decoration in a seafood eatery. The Greeks and Romans were obsessed by fish and paid huge sums for the freshest and best catches. The base of the bowl is decorated with a foliate pattern within a laurel-leaf wreath. Roman, c. 2nd or 3rd Century AD. Side cracked in two places, some small erosion holes and a small area of professional infill. Size: 9.9 x 4 cms Antiquities |Books |Ordering |Postage |Contact us |Email |Links |Shopping cart |Mailing list |Home
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