Roman Black Glass Bead Necklace String

Restrung group of fusiform, oblate, tubular and other beads. 8 grams, 33.5 cm



Ex London, UK, collection, 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Comprising a barrel-shaped hematite body with gold-sheet caps to each end with suspension loop above and a central band with similar loop above; the central band with an applied menorah to the centre, lulav, etrog, shofar and incense shovel on the sides; lower edge with small suspension attachments with a horizontal gold wire holding three pomegranate pendants and two amethyst beads, one of the pomegranates retaining its original pearl. 9.67 grams, 37 mm



Private collection, kept in Europe since the 1960s. Accompanied by a positive scientific statement from Striptwist Limited, a London-based company run by historical precious metal specialist Dr Jack Ogden, reference number 190901. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12679-235461. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

A mixed group of two hundred and fifty single tesserae of various colours and sizes, mostly cuboid. 357 grams total, 8-13 mm



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. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Roman mosaics were made from small cubes of natural stone and terracotta possibly cut from tile or brick. Each of these small cubes was called a tessera (several tesserae) from the Latin word for dice.