Two Greek Glass Pieces for the Game Astragalos (Knucklebone)

Ptolemaic Period, 304-30 B.C.

Length of largest 15/16 inch (2.4 cm).

Property from JRM, Washington, D.C.

Provenance:

The John J. Slocum Collection, Providence, Rhode Island (1914-1997).

Ancient Objects Auction, Providence, Rhode Island, Auction 2, 10 June 2018, Part of Lot 80.

Arte Primitivo, New York, Auction 83, 12 July 2016, Part of Lot 471.

These two pieces were likely used to play astragalos or knucklebone. Astragalos was a popular game played among Greek children in antiquity. J.J. Slocum was an avid bibliophile, numismatist, and antiquarian. Beyond his exceptional collection of rare books and medieval crusader coins, he had collected antiquities. These were mostly acquired while serving as a US diplomate to Germany and Egypt in the 1960s. He would later go on to work with the Smithsonian Institution, serve on President Regan's Cultural Property Advisory Committee, and be given the title Trustee Emeritus from the Archaeological Institute of America.

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Jacob Coley

Senior Vice President, Head of Department, Antiquities and Ancient Art

[email protected]312 280 1212

Mr. Coley joined the Antiquities department in 2021 after working as Managing Director in the Ancient Art department at Colnaghi, the world’s oldest commercial art gallery, where he helped to establish the Ancient Art department and launched Colnaghi New York in 2017. Prior to Colnaghi, Mr. Coley was in the Greek and Roman Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mr. Coley holds a B.A. from the University of Miami and an M.A. in Art Market from the Fashion Institute of Technology, and he earned an art-appraisal certificate from New York University.

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Two Greek Glass Pieces for the Game Astragalos (Knucklebone)

Ptolemaic Period, 304-30 B.C.

Length of largest 15/16 inch (2.4 cm).

Property from JRM, Washington, D.C.

Provenance:

The John J. Slocum Collection, Providence, Rhode Island (1914-1997).

Ancient Objects Auction, Providence, Rhode Island, Auction 2, 10 June 2018, Part of Lot 80.

Arte Primitivo, New York, Auction 83, 12 July 2016, Part of Lot 471.

Antiquities & Ancient Art Online (Session II)

Two Greek Glass Pieces for the Game Astragalos (Knucklebone)

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Two Greek Glass Pieces for the Game Astragalos (Knucklebone)