Published Roman bronze folding tripod
€37,800
available
Object number
AR3480
| Object: |
Folding tripod
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| Material: |
Bronze
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| Date: |
About 2nd - 4th century A.D. Late Roman Imperial |
| Description: |
Height-adjustable folding tripod with pelta finials. The undecorated, ribbon-like leg sections are bent outwards at right angles at their lower ends and widened to form the feet. The upper end of the legs encloses a projecting leg section with a cuff, which in turn encloses the supporting leg with a cuff at its lower end. The upper, projecting sections are crowned with flat pelta motifs, from the center of each of which rises a chalice ornament. Hooks with a narrow, tall rectangular cross-section are attached to the back of these leg sections. The diagonal braces are undecorated. Their rivets are covered by round decorative rotelles with a raised circular motif. The tripod can be raised to three different heights. Three holes in the lower leg sections lock the leg height. A small hook engages in these holes and is attached by a chain to the lower cuff of the upper leg section. This hook prevents the upper leg brace from sliding down; it supports both the weight of the upper leg brace half and the weight of the tabletop or tripod support. |
| Historical: note |
Folding tripods made of bronze, and less frequently of silver, were well known in Ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Their function was primarily domestic, as can be deduced from the circumstances of various finds. The tripods were used both as tables and as stands for, e.g., high-quality bronze washbasins or heating basins. Some objects are also thought to have served as incense altars. As magnificent grave goods, they occasionally accompanied their owners even after death. Furthermore, such tripods were frequently used in Roman military camps and temples.
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| Dimensions: |
When set up, the table forms a triangle with sides up to 70 cm long. The legs are 71 cm high when lowered and are adjustable to three further height settings. At the highest setting, the legs are 97 cm high, and the tabletop reaches a height of 90 cm. The custom-made, modern acrylic glass tabletop has a diameter of 51 cm. The previous owner, Dr. Morkramer, used the table at the middle height setting. This setting has sides of 60 cm, a height of 88 cm, and a tabletop height of 82 cm. However, the tabletop can also be used at the other height settings thanks to the mechanism. When folded, the table measures 71 cm in length and 17 cm in diameter.
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| Condition: |
Absolutely magnificent condition, the likes of which are rarely found in museums and collections worldwide for Roman bronze furniture. The bronze frame is original. The mechanism is still functional. Individual areas of the frame have been professionally and discreetly restored, without any modern additions. The surface was gently cleaned by a previous owner and thus displays a smooth patina in shades of brown, red, and green. Even the hooks that hold the height-adjustable struts in position are still present and functional. Only one of the hooks has a broken tip, which does not affect its function. This wonderful state of preservation is certainly a result of particularly favorable soil conditions and good care over the past decades or centuries. But the table, which was actively used by Dr. Morkramer, also conveys a sense of the robust and practical craftsmanship of the Romans.
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| Published in: |
Published with photograph and detailed description in: U. Klatt, Römische Klapptische, drei- und vierbeinige Stützgestelle aus Bronze und Silber (Kölner Jahrbuch 28, 1995) p. 494 no. D71.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2023 from the German private collection of Dr. Klaus Morkramer. Acquired into the collection in 1968 from the renowned antiquities dealer Axel Weber, Cologne, Germany. Examined at the RGZM Cologne between 1981 and 1984 by Prof. Peter Nölke, Th. Quaink, and M. Schleiermacher. Published in 1995 by Dr. Ute Klatt. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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