Roman Glass Cup with Piece Missing

Hollow-formed shank, integral plaque with inset glass disc, low-relief Eros face in three-quarter view. 2.35 grams, 21.19 mm overall, 15.00 mm internal diameter (approximate size British D 1/2, USA 2, Europe 1.78, Japan 1)



Acquired in 1992. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

With moulded relief decoration depicting scenes of dance and music, probably a Bacchic procession, one side with a woman playing an epigonion or psaltery, flanked by two nude dancing men; the other side with a nude woman holding a palm branch and surrounded by two men playing a double flute and a cithara. 90 grams, 82 mm



Acquired prior to 1971. Ex Fridolin (1903-1969) and Halina (1907-1989) Schwitter-Lagutt collection, Basel, Switzerland. with Christie's, London, UK, sale 21014, no.115 (part). Accompanied by a copy of the Christie's listing and invoice. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D’Amato. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

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. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

In the 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 of holes for the attachment rivets in our specimen 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.