Roman Bronze Steelyard Balance

Modelled in the round in kneeling pose with weight thrust forward, arms at the sides, bare-chested and wearing a short kilt with thick belt; the hair drawn up in the Swabian knot style above the right ear; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 80 grams total, 58 mm including stand



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.

Statuettes of foreign ‘barbarian’ prisoners of this type have been found along the Danube. Their spread coincides with the Marcomannic wars of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The Swabian knot in this warrior’s hair has parallels with the warrior depicted on the contemporary Sarcophagus of Portonaccio, which represents a battle between Romans and Germanic Gauls.

Two fragments of redware bowl rim, the larger with handwritten label 'Roman / from the Poultry, London Dec.1928' and record card 'Fragment Decorated Samian Bowl. Found: The Poultry, London, Dec. 21. 1928'; the smaller with handwritten label ''Roman / the Poultry / Dec.21.1928'. 60 grams total, 58-65 mm



Found Poultry, London, UK, 1928. From the collection of a late East Anglian teacher and antiquarian who retired to the Isle of Wight in Hampshire, UK. He amassed a large collection of objects between the 1960s-1980s.

Hollow-formed foot for a lectus couch, the upper square in plan with tongue-shaped opening to the forward face, and vertical strap to the reverse; the foot with four curved claws, bulb knuckles above; open to the underside 558 grams, 11.2 cm



Acquired from Munich and London, 1990s. From the collection of a London, UK, gentleman.