Ancient Rome, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. One look at this hand-forged iron spear and one cannot help but think of Poseidon (or Neptune), the legendary god of the sea in classical mythology. This example possesses five prongs, all the better to spear fish / eel, or in Poseidon's case, make new bodies of water magically appear, and when angry, stir up tidal waves, sea storms, and tsunamis or strike the earth to bring about earthquakes, as he was also dubbed the "Earth Shaker." This spear (or shall we say pentadent given its five prongs) has a conical pole attachment at the lower end. Given its size, it probably accompanied a grand sculpture depicting the classical sea god. Most surviving classical sculptures depicting Poseidon/Neptune such as the masterful ancient Greek monumental Poseidon also known as the "Artemision Zeus" (ca. 460 BCE), a colossal work recovered from a shipwreck off Cape Artemision, Greece in 1928 and now in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, are actually missing their tridents. So perhaps we can look at the later Baroque sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini's "Neptune and Triton" (1622-1623 CE) in the esteemed Victoria and Albert Museum's collection to envision the original context of this trident. Just imagine the mighty presence of Neptune/Poseidon wielding this rare and magnificent trident! Size: 5.5" W x 12" H (14 cm x 30.5 cm)

Provenance: Ex- Private New Jersey collection acquired before 1990

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#112795

One old break to an end tine, missing its barb. Otherwise near choice with nice brown patina.