Sale 1314
New York
|
11 December 2003
Price realised
USD 17,925
Estimate
A ROMAN GLASS GAMING DIE Circa 2nd Century A.D. Deep blue-green in color, the large twenty-sided die incised with a distinct symbol on each of its faces 2 1/16 in. (5.2 cm.) wide
Provenance
Acquired by the current owner's father in Egypt in the 1920s.
Contact Client Service
info@christies.com
New York +1 212 636 2000
London +44 (0)20 7839 9060
infoasia@christies.com
Asia +852 2760 1766
Several polyhedra in various materials with similar symbols are known from the Roman period. Modern scholarship has not yet established the game for which these dice were used.
Pre-Lot Text
THE PROPERTY OF A MARYLAND FINE ARTS PROFESSOR
Ahead of an online sale that honours their close bond, Meredith Etherington-Smith traces the roots of a 40-year collaboration
The artist tells us about his meticulous recreation of a child’s toy in a work that became an instant icon when it debuted at the Whitney Museum in New York in 2014