Late Roman Bronze Ring with Serpent on a Pedestal

Brown-yellow translucent intaglio with an engraved billy goat with long horns, goatee and shaggy fur ambling to left on a groundline. 0.42 grams, 13 mm



Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger, Auction 252, 25-26 September 2007, no.1592.

Light-brown cuboid dice with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4. 3.81 grams, 14 mm



From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK, 1970s, by descent.

Bulbous body and rounded underside, long neck, trumpet-shaped mouth with applied rim, applied strap handle with ribbing. 40 grams, 96 mm



Acquired in the 1992. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s.

Roman glass from the 2nd to 4th century A.D. gives a fascinating insight into everyday life in the Roman Empire. By this time, glassmaking had become highly skilled, and glass vessels were being produced on a much larger scale than before. Thanks to the development of glassblowing, makers were able to create practical as well as attractive objects such as bottles, flasks, jars, and drinking vessels. Much of the glass from this period has a soft blue-green tint, caused by natural elements in the raw materials. Although some pieces were finely decorated, many were made for ordinary daily use, showing how glass had become far more common and accessible across Roman society.