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LOT 0573
Roman Bronze Bracelet Group
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.
2 1/2 in. (68 grams total, 64-65 mm).
Comprising five with round-section bodies and squared terminals; the surfaces decorated with engraved lines and dots. [5, No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the family collection of a Surrey gentleman since before 1960.
LiteratureCf. Boucher, S., Inventaire des Collections Publiques Françaises - 17 Vienne: Bronzes Antiques, Paris, 1971, pp.118-119, nos.125-126, for similar specimens.
FootnotesBracelets were worn in Rome by ladies of rank, but it was considered a mark of effeminacy for civilian men to use such female ornaments (Suetonius, Caligula, 52; Nero, 30). The armillae (or psellia in Greek) were rings and bracelets worn by women in the Graeco-Roman world on both legs and arms. Homer mentions them (elikas) as being part of the hairstyle of the divine Aphrodite, thus giving an almost sacred character to these objects. There were different types, the most common consisting of a more or less thick metal wire, or a flat or cylindrical circle, like our examples.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Silver ROMA Brooch
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
The monogram in Latin letters, ('R'+'M'+'A', with the 'O' represented by the circular plan of the brooch itself), a palindrome 'AMOR'; complete with pin. 10 grams, 35 mm
From the collection of Alan Hardcastle. Ex private Merseyside, UK, collection.
The brooch is composed of the stylised letters ‘RMA’. When viewed from the obverse RMA + the circle of the brooch form a monogram for ‘Roma’. Roma refers to both the city and its divine personification, the Dea Roma. But if RMA is read from right to left (or the brooch is viewed from the opposite side), the letters display a monogram for ‘AMOR’, the Latin name for Cupid, the god of love. The phrase pertains to Roma-Amor, a widely recognised palindrome espousing Roman wordplay in the ancient times. -
Roman Gemstone with Cavalryman
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £208
Oval in shape displaying a mounted cavalryman riding left on horseback; polished. 0.75 grams, 13 mm
Collected from 1969-1999. From the collection of the late Mr S.M., London, UK. -
Roman Glass Candlestick Unguentarium
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Bulbous body with flat bottom, tall tapering neck with everted rim. 20.9 grams, 12 cm high
Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.
