Late Roman Lead Tessera with Menorah and Inscription

Square plaque from a baldric or military belt, with an engraved circle in the centre depicting a shepherd resting under a tree with two crossed branches, leaning on his staff with a greyhound beside him. 48.7 grams, 66 mm



From a UK collection since before 1990.

The plaque is related to a series of late Antique bronze plates destined to decorate the military baldrics or belts. Some of them were found in a late Roman tomb in Totanés (Toledo), ornamented with busts, and a plaque from Merida (Badajoz) was decorated with the personification of Rome. The plaque is related to similar ones from Italian and Syrian-Palestinian workshops, whose ornamentation seems sometimes to be connected to imperial authority. Parallels are linked to similar pieces of different iconographic types, but which were equally popular in the late Roman Empire, such as hunting or bucolic motifs.

A single-handled mould-blown pitcher, doubling as a sprinkler flask, the inner diaphragm at the junction of the neck and body with a small piercing to restrict the flow of liquid from the vessel; twenty individual ribs which radiate upwards from the pontil mark on the base towards the neck; flared and rolled rim, handle applied separately at the end of the process, formed from folded glass creating a scrollwork effect; one face of the pitcher shows the original rich green glass colour, while the other side has an area of milky oxidation. 191 grams, 13.5 cm



Originally in an old English collection. Ex property of a Florida, USA, gentleman.

Scholars sometimes call this rare type a 'squash glass', the reason for which is apparent when viewing the piece from beneath.

Formed as a horse grazing on a baseline with shaggy mane and drooping tail; hinged pin and catch to the reverse. 13.2 grams, 34 mm



Ex David Miller, Hemel Hempstead, London, UK. From the private collection of a West London, UK, gentleman, formed since the early 2000s. Accompanied by a hand written ticket.