Posted on 10/17/2006 11:22:12 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Although Bonhams auction house, which will display the Sevso Hoard, insists no sale is planned, the Marquess of Northampton who bought the silver for an undisclosed sum in the 1980s recently said he "hopes" the silver will be sold, and that it has "cursed" his family. It now belongs to a trust he founded... The marquess, whose estates include more than 30,000 acres and magnificent stately homes in Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, sued his legal advisers after the Sotheby's auction was abandoned, and received a substantial but undisclosed settlement out of court. The 14 pieces of fabulous silver include four enormous platters, the size of bin lids, each containing up to a stone of pure silver. They may have been made in a Greek workshop for a staggeringly wealthy Roman client, possibly the Sevso who gave the hoard its name in the inscription: "May these, O Sevso, yours for many ages be, small vessels fit to serve your offspring worthily." ...The pieces resemble those found near Lake Balaton in the 19th century, now in the national museum in Budapest, and one is engraved Pelso, the Roman name for the lake... The Sevso Treasure, 14 massive Roman era silver bowls, salvers and ewers, believed to date from between 350AD and 450AD, was brought to London in the early 1980s with an export licence from Lebanon, later claimed to be a forgery.
(Excerpt) Read more at arts.guardian.co.uk ...
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Speaking of which, I think it would hilarious to turn up at the Antiques Road Show with this collection. ;')
Seuso Treasure, Hunting Bawl: It is a bawl with 70,5 cms in diameter of a silver collection probably from Hungary. The word Pelso (a Balaton in Latin) is written in the middle of a figure similar in shape of the Lake Balaton.
Wow.... good workmanship.
What a great turkey platter one of those would make. ;0)
This is a very famous late Roman find. Beautiful pieces.
wow is that pretty!
I'll wait for the gold ones. [sniff]
Major varsity beer coaster ping!
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