Triton XIV, Lot: 651. Estimate $2000. Sold for $3000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Julio-Claudian prince (Nero?). 50s AD. Silver miniature bust mount (22mm high, 5.28 g). Solid bareheaded Julio-Claudian bust with slight drapery on left shoulder, set on plinth. Minor scratch on the right shoulder, otherwise a wonderful piece in fine style.

It is tempting to identify this figure as a young Nero as the bust in some respects recalls Nero’s second portrait type from circa AD 54. The hairstyle and prominent ears, however, were common features of male Julio-Claudian portraiture. The original function of the bust is equally uncertain, but the unworked back of the head and concave curvature on the back of the chest with traces of original solder tell us that the bust was attached to a convex surface and that only the front and sides of the head were visible. In any case, it was likely accompanied by images of other members of the imperial family.