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LOT 0872
Roman Blue Glass Bead Necklace String
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D. AND LATER
16 1/8 in. (11.96 grams, 41 cm).
Composed mainly of 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:
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Roman Bronze Ring with Cupid Riding a Lion
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Incuse ribbing to the shoulders, ellipsoid plaque with incuse crouching lion and winged putto or Cupid above. 5.55 grams, 20.18 mm overall, 16.51 mm internal diameter (approximate size British G, USA 3 1/4, Europe 4.92, Japan 4)
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 to Tudor Bronze Artefact Group
2nd-16th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £78
Comprising: a heart-shaped mount with a central lion-head; a rectangular mount with decorative border in low-relief; a horse head modelled in the round; an oval silver pendant with S and stars; hooked tag with ring-and-dot motifs. 38.7 grams total, 23-42 mm
Acquired on the UK art market in the 1970s-1990s. Property of a Nottinghamshire, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
The use of hooked tags for fastening first became fashionable during the Anglo-Saxon period. They are usually triangular or circular in shape, of sheet metal (normally bronze or occasionally in silver) and have two or three attachment holes at the widest end. -
Roman Mosaic Stone Tesserae Group
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
A mixed group of two hundred and fifty single tesserae of various colours and sizes, mostly cuboid. 340 grams total, 7-14 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 (plural tesserae) from the Latin word for dice.
