Home > Auctions > 9 - 17 September 2025
Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History & Coins
From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
For examples of similar black Roman beads see Then-Obluska, J., ‘Beads and pendants from the Hellenistic to early Byzantine Red Sea port of Berenike, Egypt, Seasons 2014 and 2015’ in Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean, 27/1, 2018, pp.203–234, figs. 7 (esp.8,10,11), 8 no.14, 10b no.55.
In the Roman period there was a strong formal and chromatic diversity of glass beads used for necklaces and bracelets. The most common beads in forms were small biconical (lenticular), barrel-shaped, spherical and annular; the most common colours were dark blue, followed by green and yellow. The succession of glass beads often imitates jewellery made of costly materials (gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones). Green, blue-green, blue, yellow, and black drawn and rounded glass beads (like here) are late Roman types.
Ex property of a London collector; acquired 1960s.
Property of a North London, UK, lady.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Whitehouse, D., Roman Glass in the Corning Museum of Glass, vol.2, New York, 2001, item 621, for type.
From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
For similar green Roman beads see Then-Obluska, J., ‘Beads and pendants from the Hellenistic to early Byzantine Red Sea port of Berenike, Egypt, Seasons 2014 and 2015’ in Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean, 27/1, 2018, pp.203–234, figs.3a, 4,5,7.
In the Roman period there was a strong formal and chromatic diversity of glass beads used for necklaces and bracelets. The most common beads in forms were small biconical (lenticular), barrel-shaped, spherical and annular; the most common colours were dark blue, followed by green and yellow. The succession of glass beads often imitates jewellery made of costly materials (gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones).
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s.
From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
From the private collection of a Canadian gentleman living in Essex, UK, formed since the 1920s-circa 1990.
Property of an Essex lady until the late 1990s; thence by descent.
From the private collection of an Essex gentleman since the late 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Bussière, J., Lindros Wohl, B., Ancient Lamps in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu, 2017, no.329, p.231, for type.
The lamp belongs to the Bussière type, form D I 3, from a period between the Late Flavian era to the second half of the second century A.D. Like the types of this category, the ring handle shows two grooves on the upper part and the filling hole is in the lower part.
From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. for similar necklaces in blue glass Johns, C., The Jewellery of Roman Britain, Celtic and Classical Traditions, London, 1996, p.100.
Such necklaces testify to the popularity of glass ornaments across the Roman Empire. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads, but with the extension of the Empire and the adoption of different styles from Greece, Egypt and North Africa, jewellery designs became increasingly various and elaborate. Each bead of this beautiful necklace is unique in shape, lustre and speckling, creating a mosaic-like impression. Blue glass beads can be grouped into opaque mid-blue and deep translucent cobalt blue types.
Ex German art market, 2000s.
Acquired from an EU collector living in London.
From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
From an English collection formed before 2000.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Found Thames foreshore, London, UK.
Acquired from Coincraft, London, UK.
From the private collection of Kenneth Machin (1936-2020), Buckinghamshire, UK; his collection of antiquities and natural history was formed since 1948; thence by descent.
Accompanied by a Coincraft certificate of authenticity.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. Hattatt, R., Ancient Brooches and Other Artefacts, Oxford, 1989, item 1696, for type.
From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
For examples of similar green Roman beads see Then-Obluska, J., ‘Beads and pendants from the Hellenistic to early Byzantine Red Sea port of Berenike, Egypt, Seasons 2014 and 2015’ in Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean, pp.203–234, figs.3a, 4,5,7; for examples of similar red beads fig.4 nos.7-8-9 and 16-23.
In the Roman period there was a strong formal and chromatic diversity of glass beads used for necklaces and bracelets. The most common beads in forms were small biconical (lenticular), barrel-shaped, spherical and annular; the most common colours were dark blue, followed by green and yellow, and red. The succession of glass beads often imitates jewellery made of costly materials (gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones).
Acquired on the UK art market during the late 20th century.
From the private collection of David King (1940-2024), Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, UK.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
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