Roman Bronze Ring with Bird

Composed of a shallow oval bowl and stem flaring towards a decoratively notched terminal, beast head in relief to the neck and geometric motifs to the stem. 50 grams, 15 cm



English collection, early 2000s. Ex central London gallery.

Imitating Hadrian's sestertius adlocutio, the emperor with a companion (or Castor and Pollux) on horseback, one of the horsemen holding a round shield; arrayed legions in front of them wearing crested helmets, raised spears and quadrangular shields; legionary eagle in the foreground; the scene enclosed within a rope border; pin lugs and catchplate to the reverse. 12.9 grams, 33 mm



From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection, 1990s. This brooch is an extreme rarity and is believed to be the finest known example. 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 search certificate number no.11747-202502.

These brooches were a mystery until one was excavated at Wiggonholt, Sussex, together with three other damaged specimens now in the Devizes Museum, all from Wiltshire (more precisely Cold Kitchen Hill). The image of the original coin was slightly modified. The local craftsman improved the coin type making his brooch more interesting, transforming the Emperor Hadrian on horseback into two cavalrymen, probably the sacred Dioscuri, while the Roman Aquila, symbol of the legions, was taken from the top of the signa and placed in the foreground.

From the upper part of the vessel, displaying a frieze of profile busts and figural scenes within roundels, winged Victory holding a wreath and standing on globe between the roundels; the central roundel with Sol Invictus and a sun chariot. 155 grams, 18.5 cm



Acquired 1960s-1990s. From the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

This terra sigillata fragment appears to have been part of a large tray, celebrating the imperial triumph of an early 4th century emperor, possibly Constantine or a member of his family such as Crispus. The combination of triumphal symbols (palms, quadriga, radiated crown) with imperial figures is typical of the tetrarchy and early Constantinian era, where elements of dying paganism were still used to celebrate imperial glory. Note the detailed late Roman clothing, with a closed chlamys-paludamentum on the right shoulder and, in the profile figure, a thorax with hemispherical shoulder protections.