Loading, please wait...
LOT 0805
Roman Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D. AND LATER
15 in. (11.9 grams, 38.2 cm).
Composed of mainly oblate and annular beads; restrung to a Y-shape. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the London, UK, art market in the 1990s.
This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Cf. for similar necklaces in blue glass Johns, C., The Jewellery of Roman Britain, Celtic and Classical Traditions, London, 1996, p.100.
FootnotesSuch necklaces testify to the popularity of glass ornaments across the Roman Empire. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads, but with the extension of the Empire and the adoption of different styles from Greece, Egypt and North Africa, jewellery designs became increasingly various and elaborate. Each bead of this beautiful necklace is unique in shape, lustre and speckling, creating a mosaic like impression. Blue glass beads are distinguished by the scholars in opaque mid-blue and deep translucent cobalt blue.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
-
Roman Bronze Flying Bird Plate Brooch
2nd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Aviform brooch with ring-and-dot motifs to wings, tail and head; pin-lug, chord, pin and catchplate to underside. 7.79 grams, 37 mm
Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Roman Yellow Glass Bead Necklace String
1st-4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £39
Composed mainly of oblate beads, central feature composed of a tubular bead with a facetted bead suspended below; restrung. 16.8 grams, 39.7 cm
From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In the Roman period there was a strong formal and chromatic diversity of glass beads used for necklaces and bracelets. The most common beads in forms were small biconical (lenticular), barrel-shaped, spherical and annular; the most common colours were dark blue, followed by green and yellow. The succession of glass beads often imitates jewellery made of costly materials (gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones). -
Roman Bronze Lion Head Mount
2nd-3rd century A.D.Estimate: £400 - 600 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Discoid mount with a lion-head modelled in the round to the centre, the beast with fierce expression and gaping jaws; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 218 grams total, 10 cm high including stand
Private collection of Mr K.A., acquired in the 1990s-early 2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
Bronze lions were chosen guardian figures for millennia in both the Greek and Roman worlds. Representations of lions have been discovered in various contexts, appearing on gates and tombs in ancient Greece and on Roman coffins (sarcophagi), where they symbolise victory of the soul over death and evil.
