Roman Glass Bead Necklace String

The oval intaglio engraved with a whimsical image of a stork emerging from the mouth of a large seashell, its neck arched forward to seize a small mouse by the tail; set in a finely made 19th-century ring with openwork shoulders; supplied with a museum-quality impression. 4.25 grams, 24.31 mm overall, 19.30 mm internal diameter (approximate size British T, USA 9 1/2, Europe 21.26, Japan 20)



Acquired on the European art market. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate number no.13365-257944.

The stork, a bird symbolic in antiquity of vigilance, filial piety, and longevity, here appears in an imaginative fusion with a marine shell—an element often associated with Venus and the sea. The capture of the mouse adds an element of humour and narrative intrigue, perhaps evoking themes of cunning, the triumph of wit, or the unexpected in nature. Such unusual compositions are occasionally found in Roman glyptics of the late Republican period, appealing both for their novelty and symbolic richness.

With broad tapering shoulders, plaque inset with an ellipsoid intaglio profile bust. 6.92 grams, 24.70 mm overall, 20.35 x 16.77 mm internal diameter (approximate size British O 1/2, USA 7 1/4, Europe 15.61, Japan 15)



From the private collection of Mr Brian Edwards, New Malden, Surrey, UK, formed from the late 1970s-early 1980s; thence by descent.

Piriform body with large nozzle and a small stub handle to the rear, the edge with a band of alternating concentric circles and flowers, the discus with flowers and triangles, inked collector's number '347' on the base. 248 grams, 14.1 cm



Ex important German collection, 1960-1990.