129 - Pair of door knockers; Rome, 1st–2nd centuries A.D.

Pair of door knockers; Rome, 1st–2nd centuries A.D. Bronze. Measurements: 7 x 2 cm. Weight: 304 g (both). Provenance: Family bequest from Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Archaeological collection assembled beginning in the 1950s by successive generations of the family through purchases at European galleries and auction houses. Pair of bronze wheel rims for a Roman two-horse chariot (biga) or four-horse chariot (quadriga). They can be dated to between the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D., that is, during the height of the High Imperial period. Both finials are of the type known as “swan’s neck,” consisting of a long shaft of solid bronze terminating in a swan’s head. Both heads are richly detailed, with the beaks, eyes, and—in particular—the feathers clearly visible; such detailed featherwork was typically found only on high-quality wheel spouts. It is rare to find them as a pair. They come from an important collection of Spanish archaeology.