Roman Glass Flask with Gallery

Carved in the round with tiered collars to the neck, hair swept back from the face and coloured with green pigment, low-relief facial features, pierced at lower edge for attachment; ears pierced and gold wire earring inserted. 56 grams, 86 mm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Modelled in the round as a facing female, semi-naturalistic facial detailing and dressed hair; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 31.4 grams total, 55 mm including stand



with Arte Classica, Lugano, prior 2000. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00043014. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Some Roman metal hair pins had human figures as finials (Cool, sub-group A, p.168). Bone pin finials carved as female busts were relatively common in Britannia (see for example finds from Londinium or Rutupiae). Metal pins with human figures were rare, though where they occur they tended to be made in the late Roman period, such a similar example recovered in the Vermand area. The treatment of figures varied greatly, including 'Celtic' looking faces and 'Venus' types. This great diversity of treatment clearly suggests that these pins were the occasional products of a wide variety of workshops.

Displaying a polished garnet cabochon on a discoid setting, ribbed tubular suspension loop above. 0.18 grams, 8 mm



Ex property of a late Japanese collector, 1970-2000s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.