Roman Bronze Dolphin Handle

**First Time At Auction**

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A charming cast bronze dolphin applique with a stylized body, arched tail, and mouth terminating in a flat plaque that would have been attached to a chest or vessel to form a handle. Dolphins were a powerful and popular motif in Roman artwork. The Romans were in part a maritime empire, and the iconography of the sea included dolphins, believed to carry souls to the Fortunate Isles, perhaps because they could pass through the air-breathing terrestrial world and into the watery depths that claimed so many Roman sailors' lives. Size: 2.5" W (6.4 cm)

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Richard Wagner collection, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA, collected in the 1960s

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#137213
Condition Report: Beautiful mottled turquoise patina on surface protected by a stabilizer. Great preservation of form.