Rediscovering Rome

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In the world of ancient art today, true discoveries are rare. Yet in the past year, Sworders’ Ancient Art Department has brought not one, but two remarkable Roman Imperial sculptures out of obscurity and into the spotlight, transforming them from overlooked curiosities into celebrated highlights of their recent sales.

^{A Roman marble portrait bust of an Antonine prince (Sold for £195,000)}

The first of these was a marble portrait bust of a young boy, passed down through the Inglis family of Glencorse, Scotland, and long held in a local Essex house. It was on display alongside Inglis ancestral paintings and sculptures by leading artists of the 19th century, thus the prevailing thought was that this child must have been a long-lost member of the family. Sworders’ specialists, however, were captivated by the quality of the work and sensed that this piece could hold greater significance still. Through meticulous research, comparative analysis, and consultation with leading scholars from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Princeton, they were able to reattribute the piece as a portrait bust of an Antonine prince, c.140 CE. With closely matching examples in the collections of Castle Howard, Yorkshire, the Archaeological Museum of Maremma, Tuscany, and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, the team concluded that this young boy was possibly a depiction of Marcus Aurelius Fulvus Antoninus, son of Emperor Antoninus Pius, who died very young. Although very little is known about this young prince to offer conclusive proof of the attribution, the piece was clearly of superior workmanship, and the presence of multiple known examples, this one by far the most complete, indicated that the sitter was clearly a person of great significance.

^{A Roman marble portrait bust of an Antonine prince (Sold for £195,000)}

Following a dedicated pre-sale marketing campaign, and after establishing contact with prospective bidders from leading international institutions, galleries and private collections, the bust featured as a lead lot in Sworders’ December 2024 Fine Interiors sale, drawing global interest. After a long period of spirited bidding, it was sold to a UK-based telephone bidder for a hammer price of £150,000, reaffirming the market’s appetite for rediscovered masterpieces and attesting to the excellent work of the Sworders’ team.

The second triumph came with a marble portrait head of the Emperor Titus, formerly in the collection of Prince Franz Joseph II of Liechtenstein. Despite having appeared on the auction market in both London and New York twice in the last five decades, catalogued simply as ‘a marble bust of a man’ and ‘Italian, 18th century, in the antique manner’, its quality had not been fully appreciated, and its illustrious provenance underestimated. As with the portrait bust of the Antonine prince, the Sworders’ team felt that there was more to be unearthed and, with the same considered, diligent and strategic approach, they set about investigating the reputed connection to the Princely House of Liechtenstein, one of the most important art collections in the world. Having compared the four-character inventory number, which was painted in red to the reverse of the later bust on which the head sat, with other known works from the Collection, they established contact with the Archive in Vienna, who confirmed that it had indeed been owned by the family prior to its de-accessioning in 1983, and offered further documentary evidence by way of a letter, which corroborated its presence in the collection in the early 1970s. The letter - penned by Dr Norbert Heger of the University of Salzburg to Dr Reinhold Baumstark, then Director of the Princely Collections - plainly referred to the piece as a Roman head. With this vital piece of evidence, Sworders’ specialists once again contacted members of their network of museum experts and consultants, who inspected the piece and, based on analysis of the marble’s composition as well as its technical and stylistic characteristics, confirmed it to be a true Flavian work, executed c.80 CE.

^{A Roman marble portrait head of the Emperor Titus (Sold for £26,000)}

With a new compelling narrative and a weight of strong evidence to support its new attribution, underpinned by Sworders’ high standard of presentation and marketing, the bust was offered in the June 2025 Fine Interiors sale, again drawing international interest to achieve a hammer price of £20,000, selling to an American collector.

These successes are not accidents. They are the result of a deliberate strategy: combining academic rigour with market insight, and treating each object with the respect and attention it deserves. From establishing provenance and securing expert opinions, to crafting compelling catalogue entries and engaging collectors worldwide, Sworders’ Ancient Art and Antiquities Department is committed to excellence at every stage of the consignment journey.

We believe that every object has a story and it is our job to uncover it. Whether through archival research, comparative analysis, or direct consultation with museum professionals, we strive to bring clarity, context and value to every piece we handle.

_{All sold prices shown include fees.}

If you are considering the sale of a piece of Roman marble sculpture, or any work of ancient art, we would be delighted to discuss how we can help you to realise its full potential. Our recent results speak for themselves, and we are proud to offer a platform where scholarship and salesmanship go hand in hand.

Alexander Hallett

Head of Department | Fine Interiors

E: ancientart@sworder.co.uk

T: 01279 817778

Tuesday 16 & Wednesday 17 September | 10am

fineinteriors@sworder.co.uk | 01279 817778

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