古代ローマ人 ブロンズ ミニチュアの祭壇 (No reserve price)

Ancient Roman Bronze Miniature Altar

Culture / Period: Ancient Roman
Date / Period: 1st–2nd century A.D.
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 33 × 19 mm
Condition: Good condition

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 754
The current owner purchased this object from a reputable Dutch numismatic auction house in Schiedam, the Netherlands. Due to privacy regulations, the name of the previous owner could not be disclosed. No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:
This finely cast bronze object represents a miniature Roman altar (ara), faithfully reproducing the architectural form of full-sized stone altars used throughout the Roman Empire. The moulded base, stepped body, and four projecting corner finials are characteristic features of Roman votive altars, demonstrating the attention to detail achieved by Roman bronze craftsmen even on a miniature scale.

Miniature altars were closely associated with private religious practice and domestic worship. They were commonly placed within household shrines (lararia), where offerings and prayers were made to the household gods (Lares and Penates), ancestors, or other protective deities. Some examples may also have served as small votive objects dedicated at temples or sanctuaries in fulfilment of a vow.

Religion formed an integral part of daily life in the Roman world. Alongside the grand public temples of cities, nearly every Roman household maintained its own sacred space, where rituals were performed to seek prosperity, protection, and divine favour. Miniature representations of altars, temples, and cult objects allowed these religious traditions to be expressed on a personal and domestic scale.

Dating to the 1st–2nd century A.D., this piece belongs to the height of the Roman Imperial period, when domestic religious observance flourished throughout the Empire. Similar bronze miniature altars have been recovered from settlements, villas, military sites, and sanctuaries across the Roman provinces, reflecting a shared religious tradition that extended from the Mediterranean to the northern frontiers.