Roman Bronze Statuette of Eros

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.

An exceptional intaglio engraved with head of Medusa in three-quarter view, depicted with a sorrowful expression, full lips and large eyes gazing up; voluminous hair composed of entangled snakes framing her face, large wings to the brow flanking a pair of rearing serpents, a knot of serpents below her chin. 1.34 grams, 20.82 mm



Acquired in Switzerland 1970-1980. From a London, UK, collection. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.12034-214098.

In ancient mythology, Medusa was one of three monstrous winged female creatures who had venomous snakes living in her hair. In classical antiquity, representations of the head of Medusa appeared in the apotropaic device known as the Gorgoneion, designed to ward-off evil and bad luck.

Cuboid die with five sides bearing incised symbols: ring-and-dot (or theta Θ), 'IV' (for 'four'), saltire (or 'X' for 'ten'), frond with four spurs to each side, similar with one spur to each side. 4.5 grams, 8.7 mm



Found by the Roman fort at Caister, east of Norwich, Norfolk, UK, prior to 1998. Acquired from Richard Gladdle, 9th June 1998. From the important private collection of dice and gaming pieces of Colin Narbeth, London, UK, collection no.42. Accompanied by a Colin Narbeth catalogue identification card. Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Celtic & Roman Artefacts book pages where this object is published.

The conventional Roman dice were made in bone or lead, with dots representing numbers from 1 to 6. Roman dice from the Romano-British settlements are often poorly made and often had opposite sides that do not add up to 7. This dice is unique in the panorama of the Romano-British dice, because the symbols probably represent an alternative to the simple numerical dimples which appear on most dices.