December 206 AD. An Imperial marble stele of a Patrician (aristocrat), of rectangular shape with gables and acroterion with foliage, the gable with two birds eating grapes from the vine, the two side pillars with vine tendrils; the centre with various items including a wool ring with spindle terminal, knuckle bones, a comb, a bread stamp seal, an incense burner, three writing tablets, one with a name Maximos in genitive case '???????'; the lower panel with Greek inscription: '????C Cq? ?? ???????? ? ??????C ? ????? ?? ????????? ? C?????C ????? ?? ? ???C ????? ???????C ?? ???????C ?? ???????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ?? ??? ????? ??C??? ?????C ?????' 'In the year 291, day 5 of the month Audnaios (December 206 AD), his father Maximos, his wife Eutychiane, his son Tatianos and his brothers Tatianos and Markella (set this up) for Maximos and his son Zosimos in remembrance.' See Pfuhl E., Möbius H., Die ostgriechischen Grabreliefs. I Text and plates, Mainz, 1977, especially no.2307. Paz de Hoz, Maria Epigraphica Anatolica 40, 2007, pp.119-124. 146 kg, 87 x 50 x 15 cm (34 1/4 x 20 x 6"). Property of an important London collector; acquired from Gorny & Mosch, 21 June 2005, lot 100; previously in a European collection; accompanied by copies of the relevant Gorny & Mosch catalogue pages; an expertise written by Maria Paz de Hoz, p.119-124; an expertise written by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato; and a scholarly note TL5359 by Dr Ronald Bonewitz; this lot has also been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10271-168596 This Roman stele, produced in the Eastern Empire, presents various symbols and implements of daily work, in remembrance of the two deceased mentioned. The two birds eating grapes is a reference to an early Christian allegory found in the New Testament, specifically to the words of Jesus Christ in the Gospel of Saint John, chapter 15: 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener …I am the vine; you are the branches.' The men to whom this stele is dedicated were probably beloved father and son, and their family was probably Christian. The reference at the beginning of the stele to the month of Audenaios of the year 291 of the Sullan Era, dates the stele to December 206 AD (Emperors Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Geta").