THE SCAMMELL COLLECTION The following six lots and many others within these pages are from the Scammell collection. Antony John Scammell (1937-2019) was born, and lived his entire life, in the city of Bristol, England. Already from an early age he was enthralled by history and the heroes that it created. While serving overseas with the British Army, Antony began collecting coins and banknotes and this led to collecting a variety of different items throughout his life. From the early 1960s onward, Antony invested in acquiring ancient artefacts. Antony's vast collections started with Egyptian antiquities, but soon branched into Greek and Roman civilisations. The Roman civilisation fascinated him most and, when family commitments allowed, archaeological digs were coordinated in the west of England. These digs uncovered numerous artefacts, many of which were donated to local museums. In retirement, the collecting continued apace, branching into UK coins, British Empire banknotes and fossils.
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ROMAN PANEL WITH DIONYSUS AND DOLPHINS 3rd century AD A rectangular lead panel fragment of a child’s sarcophagus with ropework border to the upper edge and fluted column to the left edge; raised religious imagery including a central mask of Dionysus flanked by vineleaves and S-curled dolphins in profile, facing bearded mask of Silenus above and willow leaf below; mounted on a custom-made wooden stand. 3.2 kg total, 26cm including stand (10¼"). Fine condition. £400 - 600 EUR 440 - 660 USD 520 - 780 Provenance From the private collection of Antony John Scammell (1937-2019); acquired from Phoenician Holyland Antiquities, New York, USA, in 2015; accompanied by the original certificate of authenticity and import receipt. Literature See McCann, A.M., Roman Sarcophagi in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1978; M. Myth, Meaning, and Memory on Roman Sarcophagi, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.
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ROMAN DANUBIAN VOTIVE PLAQUE COLLECTION 3rd century AD
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A group of four lead votive trapezoidal and square plaques showing scenes of Danubian cult: on one plaque the god Sol and the goddess Luna are depicted on the right and the left side of the upper part, on another one only the facing solar bust at the centre of the upper section; at the centre of three plaques facing Helen of Sparta, the divine daughter of Leda and Zeus, welcoming her divine brothers, the twins Castor and Pollux, both personifying the Danubian rider; on three plaques cavalrymen, advancing, holding the draco standard of the Roman legions; on one plaque Helen is alone on the left side of the section, welcoming one of her brothers who advances with a vexillum on his shoulders; one plaque with a cockerel, the sacred animal of the sun, vegetation and animal symbols representing the offerings to the gods on the field; the eagle of Zeus at the top of three plaques; architectural elements on the background of three plaques. 433 grams total, 79-94mm (3 - 3¾"). Fine condition. [4] £400 - 600 EUR 440 - 660 USD 520 - 780 Provenance From the private collection of Antony John Scammell (1937-2019); two acquired from A. G. & S. Gillis, Barnsley, UK, in 2002; and two from John Cummings Ltd, Grantham, UK; accompanied by the original invoices for the four plaques. Literature See Tudor, D., Corpus Monumentorum Religionis Equitum Danuviorum, 2 vols., Leiden 1969-1976; Vasilev, V., ‘Two Lead Plaques with a Depiction of a Danubian Horseman from the Collection of the National Museum of the History of the Ukraine’ in Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 10,1-2, 2004, pp.67-76; Beutler F., Farka C., Gugl C., Humer F., Kremer, G. and Pollhammer, E.(ed.), Der Adler Roms, Carnuntum und die Armee der Caesaren, Bad Voslau, 2017, cat.67, for a similar plaque in bronze. For charges payable in addition to the final hammer price of each Lot see paragraphs 19 & 26 of buyer's T&C's
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