CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.

Details

TWO ROMAN BRONZE CHARIOT FITTINGS
CIRCA 2ND CENTURY A.D.
Each in the form of a tapering octagonal shaft surmounted by an eagle head finial emerging from a calyx of three outward-curving petals, the eyes articulated, the feathers enhanced by incision, an arm on either side of the shaft with an up-turned duck head terminal, the shaft edged above and below in a raised molding with incised herringbone
6¾ (17.1 cm.) high (2)

Provenance

European Private Collection, 1980.

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Lot Essay

Similar fittings were mounted on posts above each wheel of a Roman wagon. The carriage was supported by leather straps that were wrapped around the shaft (worn through from use on the present pair) and guided by the projecting arms. Such an arrangement absorbed the vibrations, easing the ride for the passengers. For a reconstruction of a Roman wagon, see p. 124 in Borger, Das Römische-Germanische Museum, Köln.

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