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LOT 1035
Roman Glass and Polished Stone Bead Necklace String
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D. AND LATER
26 in. (72.9 grams, 66 cm).
Restrung group of mainly glass beads of oblate, spherical, cylindrical, polyhedral and other types. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom the private collection of Mr Brian Edwards, New Malden, Surrey, UK, formed from the late 1970s-early 1980s; thence by descent.
Accompanied by the original collector's data sheet(s) with reference no.A101.
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AUCTIONS:
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Roman Garnet Gemstone with Portrait
Late 5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £98
Ellipsoid type with dished underside, incuse-facing portrait bust, from a Constantinople garnet workshop. 1.22 grams, 14 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Bone Gaming Die
Circa 1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Cuboid with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4. 2.82 grams, 11 mm
Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection, 1990s. -
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Very Large Eastern Roman Blue Glass Bottle with Iridescence
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £3,120
Piriform in profile with a narrow neck and flared mouth with a chamfered rim, dimple base. 949 grams, 29.1 cm
From the Xavier Guerrand-Hermès private collection. with Artcurial, Paris, 25 March 2014, no.39. Private collection, London, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.12959-245241.
On ancient glass, iridescence is the soft play of colour that develops as the surface ages and becomes silica-rich. Minute layers form over time and break light into shifting blues, greens and golds. It is not a modern finish but something time has drawn out of the material itself, so the pattern and palette are unique to each piece. Collectors prize good, stable iridescence because it lifts the form: ribs read more crisply, profiles glow, and simple vessels take on depth and movement. Museums now tend to preserve these surfaces rather than polish them away, recognising both their beauty and what they tell us about an object’s long life (though it is not, by itself, a dating test). For display, iridescent glass performs brilliantly under gentle, directional light, where the colours “turn” as the vessel is moved. Well-preserved, even iridescence of this quality is not common and adds materially to the presence and desirability of the piece.
