Ancient Roman, Empire Bronze Handle of a Patera with Fox or Dog Head - 14 cm
14
days
14
hours
40
minutes
43
seconds
Starting bid
€ 1
Reserve price not met
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
Has nearly 30 years’ experience and moderated multiple online art research groups.
Estimate € 750 - € 900
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This original ancient Roman bronze handle for a patera, dating to circa the 1st–3rd century AD, ends in a fox- or dog-like head and measures 14 × 6 × 3 cm.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Complete handle of a Roman patera or bronze saucepan (skillet), a shallow vessel used both in domestic contexts and in religious rituals. Such vessels were used for serving and pouring liquids and, in ritual contexts, for libations.
The elongated, solid-cast handle terminates in a finely modelled animal head, probably representing a fox or dog. The long, projecting and tapering muzzle gives the animal a distinctly fox-like appearance, while the eye area and further details of the head are rendered in relief. Animal protomes, particularly representations of dogs and other canids, were a recurring decorative element on Roman bronze vessels.
The curved rear section of the handle originally served to attach it to the rim or body of the vessel. The handle was cast separately and subsequently affixed to the vessel. The associated bowl is no longer preserved.
The surface displays an attractive dark brown to almost black ancient patina with areas of green oxidation and age-related traces of use.
At a later date, the handle was secondarily mounted on a wall using a nail. The nail was subsequently cut off, and remnants of this later mounting remain visible in the rear section of the handle.
Complete handle; associated vessel not preserved. Traces of a later secondary wall mounting.
Provenance
Formerly in the Madeleine & Erich Dammann Collection, Germany.
Acquired during the collectors’ extensive travels between 1950 and 1970. The collection is documented in Germany by 1970 through historical photographs of the family residence and subsequently remained in continuous family ownership.
The objects were acquired privately during the collectors’ travels. As was customary for private purchases made at local markets during the 1950s and 1960s, purchase receipts or invoices were generally neither issued nor requested.
Historical photographs and biographical documentation relating to the Dammann Collection are available and support the long-standing provenance of the collection.
Complete handle of a Roman patera or bronze saucepan (skillet), a shallow vessel used both in domestic contexts and in religious rituals. Such vessels were used for serving and pouring liquids and, in ritual contexts, for libations.
The elongated, solid-cast handle terminates in a finely modelled animal head, probably representing a fox or dog. The long, projecting and tapering muzzle gives the animal a distinctly fox-like appearance, while the eye area and further details of the head are rendered in relief. Animal protomes, particularly representations of dogs and other canids, were a recurring decorative element on Roman bronze vessels.
The curved rear section of the handle originally served to attach it to the rim or body of the vessel. The handle was cast separately and subsequently affixed to the vessel. The associated bowl is no longer preserved.
The surface displays an attractive dark brown to almost black ancient patina with areas of green oxidation and age-related traces of use.
At a later date, the handle was secondarily mounted on a wall using a nail. The nail was subsequently cut off, and remnants of this later mounting remain visible in the rear section of the handle.
Complete handle; associated vessel not preserved. Traces of a later secondary wall mounting.
Provenance
Formerly in the Madeleine & Erich Dammann Collection, Germany.
Acquired during the collectors’ extensive travels between 1950 and 1970. The collection is documented in Germany by 1970 through historical photographs of the family residence and subsequently remained in continuous family ownership.
The objects were acquired privately during the collectors’ travels. As was customary for private purchases made at local markets during the 1950s and 1960s, purchase receipts or invoices were generally neither issued nor requested.
Historical photographs and biographical documentation relating to the Dammann Collection are available and support the long-standing provenance of the collection.
Details
Culture
Ancient Roman, Empire
Century/timeframe
circa 1st–3rd century AD
Name of object
Handle of a Patera with Fox or Dog Head
Acquired from
Private collection
Year acquired
2025
Material
Bronze
Country acquired from
Germany
Condition
Fair
Previous owner acquired from
Antique market
Height
14 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1960
Width
6 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
Unknown
Depth
3 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
Sold by
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
