Roman Bronze Lion Headed Iron Key

Roman Bronze Lion Headed Iron Key, ca. 2nd Century AD. A bronze handle cast in the form of a crouching, snarling lion, its powerful jaws clenched around an object. The key emerges from the rear, elegantly integrated into the decorative terminal.

Provenance: East Coast collection, New York Gallery, New York City, New York, USA; ex-collection of a European gentleman based in the United Kingdom, formed in the 2000s, acquired on the German art market. L. 3 1/8"..