Early 5th century AD. A gold spoon with oval bowl, two applied volute scrolls to each side of the adjoining handle; the lower part of the handle formed as a silver dolphin with its tail bent upwards, applied balustered stem with bulbous finial, the finial decorated with four bands of filigree spirals. See Shelton, K.J., The Esquiline Treasure, London, 1981; Riha, E. & Stern, W.B., Die Römischen Löffel aus Augst und Kaiseraugst, Basel, 1982, items 218-221, for type; Johns, K. and Potter, T., The Thetford Treasure, Roman jewellery and silver, Dorchester, 1983, items 50-82, for type; Spier, J., Treasures of the Ferrell Collection, Wiesbaden, 2010, p.278, items 218-222, for type.23.39 grams, 17cm (6 3/4"). Property of a London businessman; acquired in London from Mr A.B. in 2019; formerly in an old American private collection since 1980s; accompanied by an archaeological report by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato; and an independent specialist report and valuation by graduate gemmologist and jewellery expert Anna Rogers, GIA GG, BA, Gem-A, ref. no.169251/07/12/2020; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10393-169251. A relatively large number of spoons of similar type, but in silver, have been discovered in treasures dating from the late fourth and early fifth centuries, and in graves of undocumented context. One very rich hoard of these objects was discovered amongst the famous Thetford treasure, where spoons with zoomorphic offsets were found (Johns and Potter, 1983, pp.38ff. and 121ff.), but many spoons were also included in the mid-fourth century Kaiseraugst treasure, from Switzerland, and in the Esquiline Treasure from Rome (Shelton, 1981, pl.34"). What is particular in our specimen is that the spoon is made of gold, not of silver, although the solid disc variety of the spoon is still the same that continued to exist until the end of the 5th century and was replaced in 6th century by a larger and heavier version. [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.]