Gemstone with Lion

The oval intaglio engraved with two winged Victories, facing each other in profile, wearing long garments crossed on the breast like a trabea consularis, both holding a staff-standard with a double forked tip. 1.64 grams, 17 mm



Acquired in the late 1980s-early 1990s. Important North West London collection.

The iconography of two Victories facing each other is clearly from Late Antiquity and reflects the images of the two victorious empires - East and West - that, transformed into winged Nikes, are holding together the standard with the chi-rho (the two Greek letters forming the initials of the name of Christ), conceived as a long shaft topped by the Greek letter P (R) and the superimposed letter X.

The fighting venator dressed in a long sleeved tunic embroidered with orbiculi and pectorarin, segmenta on the sleeves, brandishing a javelin of venabulum type; suspension loop to the reverse. 18 grams, 70 mm



Acquired 1960s-1990s. From the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

The combat scene is likely a reference to the gladiatorial fights between men and animals; such games in the arena were a principal form of entertainment through the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. Both men and women would partake in such fights. The venatores (hunters) were the most specialised in this field, fighting with a spear with winged blades and long knives (culter venatorius).

The seal box with remains of articulate hinge, raised phallus to top face with red enamelled detail; exaggerated stylised penis pendant with fragment of suspension loop remaining. 10.6 grams total, 29-41 mm



Found Billingsgate spoil from the Thames foreshore, London, UK.