Roman Blue Cut Glass Bead Necklace

With balustered hoop, broad shoulders with scrolled foliage detailing, discoid bezel with cell, inset nicolo gemstone with reversed 'SER/VIV' for SER(VI) VIV(AS) inscription in seriffed capitals, meaning 'Long may you live Servius'. 11.63 grams, 20.37 mm overall, 16.48 mm internal diameter (approximate size British J, USA 4 3/4, Europe 8.69, Japan 8)



UK private collection formed before 2000. Ex North London, UK, gallery. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.11995-211017.

'Serviu[s]' is a second declension praenomen (Glare, P.G.W., A Latin Dictionary, London, 1968-82, page 1,746/3) apparently based on the noun 'servus' (servant, minister, office-holder). The name was in use in Consular and Imperial times, and was the patronym of important Roman Gens, like the Gens Servilia.

Having piriform-globular body and everted rim, tubular neck and flat base with small kick. 20 grams, 11.5 cm high



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.

The bottle seems to belong to the type 13 of the De Tommaso classification, but with a more piriform body. By the 1st century A.D., the technique of glass-blowing revolutionised the art of glass-making and allowed for the production of small medicine, incense, and perfume containers in new forms. Glass unguentaria, bottles and vessels of various shapes were manufactured with blow-pipes, free-blown, or mould-blown, and were prevalent throughout the all the provinces of the huge empire.

Composed of three concentric circles surmounted by a bearded figure to which is attached a suspension ring, the body of the figure engraved and ending with phallic attributes. 53 grams, 83 mm



Acquired before 2000. From the collection of a European gentleman living in the UK.

Roman military harness included pendants of various typology, ranging from lunules to other decorative elements, often phallic, with the possible intention of protecting the animal. This particular pendant could be connected to the bearded image of the god Priapus.