Gorgeous Roman Bronze Handles - Matching Pair

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd centuries CE. A pair of identical handles, perhaps taken from the same chest, cast from heavy bronze and with beautiful decorative details. Each handle is rectangular, with decorative integral spheres along their upper bar. The lower bar of each is the terminal, which has an ornamental upper portion that resembles a column capital and a large acanthus leaf motif below that. Legend has it that the architect Callimachus, who started the tradition of carving acanthus leaves into Classical columns, was inspired by seeing the plant growing through the woven sides of a votive basket left at the grave of a young girl. These beautiful handles would have decorated something with a flat surface - a chest or a piece of furniture - rather than a vessel. They reflect the elegant taste of elite Romans. Size: 3.6" W x 4.1" H (9.1 cm x 10.4 cm); 5.6" H (14.2 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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#147833
Condition Report: One has a fissure on its crossbar that does not go fully through it; the other is intact. Both have packed deposits on their obverse sides. Pretty turquoise green patina on both with nice preservation of form and details.