Roman Glass Bead Necklace String

Discoid in plan, the obverse with profile bust of an emperor wearing a radiate crown, legend surrounding; the reverse with Jupiter presenting Victory on globe to an emperor, legend surrounding. 4.15 grams, 28 mm



From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London art market in the 1990s.

Substantial hollow-formed drum-shaped body with waisted nozzle, lateral integral lion-mask, stepped discus with leaf detailing, pelta-shaped reflector plate to rear with lateral wreath detailing and palmette motif; three-bar caged handle beneath. 1 kg, 23.3 cm



Acquired on the German art market in 1987. Ex Gorny and Mosch, 18 December 2013, no.502. 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.12346-225410.

This lamp belongs to the typology of ‘rounded bodies and volute spines’, typical of 1st or early 2nd century A.D. These lamps had fairly shallow and round-walled oil-chambers with long flat-topped nozzles with splayed tips (here very shallow). The majority of these lamps are of Italic manufacture, and similar have been found in Pompeii (see lamp in Ashmolean Museum ANFORTNUM B.186).

Composed of a central domed boss and openwork volutes to the sides; for a sword belt or a chariot, one corner separated. 69 grams, 14 cm wide

Good condition, very rare

Acquired 1960s-1990s. Late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

In 3rd century A.D. the sword (spatha) was mainly carried suspended from a broad baldric usually on the soldier’s left side. This sword’s shoulder belt, visible on many monuments related to the 3rd century, was composed from a leather strap, reinforced on the rims. The four specimens of Vimose provided valuable information about the shape of the baldric: one end was broad and finished in a straight edge, the other tapered to a narrow strip. They were decorated with silver disks (phalerae) of circa 6.4 cm. of diameter, with rings on the reverse for fastening. These phalerae were of different shapes, styles and decorations: we can observe a range from simple copper-alloy discs to bronze openwork pieces fitted with a plate or an openwork disc showing elaborate figures. They were usually attached at about 29-30 cm from the wider and squared top of the baldric. One of the finial parts of the baldric was in fact very wide and ended with a straight edge, upon which could be placed a hinged rectangular openwork terminal plate (like our specimen), attached to a belt terminal pendant. The lack, in our specimen, of holes for the attachment rivets could also support the thesis that the piece is not for a baldric, but a mount for cart or chariot as some examples in a similar style found in Roman North Africa.