1st century A.D. or later. A rectangular slate mount showing the head of a tragic mask with angular eyes, straight nose and a clownish, down-turned mouth. Cf. for similar appliques Rolland, H., Bronzes Antiques De Haute Provence, Paris, 1965, items 330-332. 3 grams, 16.2 mm (2/3 in.). Acquired from Galerie Jean Phillipe Mariaud de Serres, 1990-2000. Property of a French collector. Small appliques like this one were common mounts for Roman furniture. In the Graeco-Roman world comedy and tragedy masks played an important role in Greek drama, commonly performed in the Roman Empire. The actors had the ability to easily play more than one character in succession with a simple change of masks, and the characters of the masks became popular objects in the material culture. [No Reserve] For this specific lot, 5% import VAT is applicable on the hammer price