Roman and Other Bronze Artefact Collection

Squat in profile with broad body, small stub nozzle, loop handle; rounded discus with filler holes. 125 grams, 98 mm



Ex old English collection. From the estate of a late Bristol, South West England, collector.

Plano-convex in section with incuse image of Minerva standing with one hand extended, holding her spear and shield. 1.18 grams, 17 mm



Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

In Rome, the Athena Promachos type occurs on imperial silver medallions of Domitian (struck in 92 AD), since Minerva was his personal protector. On gems, it became very common from the end of the 1st century BC onwards, even on the magical gemstones.

Broad and squat with deeply indented discus bearing a low-relief scene of two gladiators wearing padded, hooped armour, one with a small square shield and falx, the other with a domed shield and a longer bladed weapon, each with a wide-brimmed Thracian-type helmet; loop handle partly absent; old collector's card: 'Roman lamp, buff with orange slip, late 1st or early 2nd century A.D. Heart shaped nozzle, handle missing. on the 'discus' two gladiators fighting. They are both of the 'Thrax' class i.e. Thracians. the one on the left holds an oblong buckle and a short curved dagger ('sica') that on the right holds a small round shield ('clipeus') and sword. Both wear helmets ('galea'), armour, and greaves ('ocrea'). Portobello Rd, 31 May 1958.' 113 grams, 12.4 cm



From the private collection of Peter Clayton, FCILIP, Dip, Arch, FSA, FRNS, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, UK; formed since the late 1950s. Accompanied by an old handwritten identification card written by Peter Clayton.