Roman and Later Bronze Artefact Collection

Assorted old blue glass beads restrung to a Y-shape with a crescentic-shaped pendant. 16.1 grams, 50 cm long



UK gallery, early 2000s.

The mass production of glass in Ancient Rome prompted the development of glass jewellery of unique qualities. The ancient Romans considered jewellery to be an essential accessory, being a public display of the wealth of high social classes. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads, but as the power and spread of the Roman Empire increased, jewellery designs became increasingly elaborate, incorporating elements from different cultural styles.

Hollow-formed piriform lamp with D-shaped nozzle and small spout, recessed upper face with three piercings, swept handle formed as the neck of a goose with floral lobes and raised linear detailing. 896 grams, 20.5 cm



Found Bath, UK. From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

Hollow-formed right hand from a statuette, with fingers splayed and flat palm, good anatomical detailing. 362 grams, 12.1 cm



Private collection 1990s. Ex London, UK, gallery.

The votive character of the hand could link it to the God Sabazios, often associated with a number of archaeological finds depicting a bronze, right hand in the benedictio latina gesture. The hand appears to have had ritual significance and may have been affixed to a sceptre (as the one carried by Sabazios on a slab, one from Philippopolis, nowadays Plovdiv in Bulgaria). The association with Sabazios is sometimes suggested in similar hands, by the presence of a snake embossed around the circumference of the hand, because the iconic image of the god or hero on horseback battling the chthonic serpent, appears on Celtic-Roman votive columns, and with the coming of Christianity it was easily adapted to the representations of Saint George fighting the Dragon.