Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A handsome bronze handle from a vessel or chest with a plaque for attachment, cast into the form of two warriors locked in combat, depicted in relief. The scene is dramatic, showing the moment when one of them knocks the other out with a fist; his knees buckle as he falls to the ground. Both are nude aside from capes, giving them a mythical air. Are these warriors like those depicted in the friezes of the Parthenon, which were admired by the Romans? Or are they barbarians like the Gaesatae, Gaulish warriors famed for fighting naked? Could they even be gladiators fighting in the arena, their helmets knocked to the ground and out of sight? The handle itself is ovoid, with gentle indentations that seem made to place the fingers. Time has given it a fantastic patina, with a clear line of different color at the bottom of the relief, the result of being buried in different kinds of soil. Size: 3.85" W x 3.75" H (9.8 cm x 9.5 cm); 5.75" H (14.6 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Richard Wagner collection, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, acquired in the 1960s
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#143890
Condition
Plaque for attachment is slightly bent but not cracked. Interesting patina on surface is the result of deposition with the lower part of the plaque covered by a different soil type. Nicely preserved motifs.