Roman Glass Pilgrim's Flask

Composed of oblate, biconical and other beads, central feature with a tabular lozenge-shaped bead, including recent European moulded bead shapes; restrung. 20.5 grams, 37.5 cm



From the London, UK, art market in the 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

In the Roman period there was a strong formal and chromatic diversity of glass beads used for necklaces and bracelets. The most common beads in forms were small biconical (lenticular), barrel-shaped, spherical and annular; the most common colours were dark blue, followed by green and yellow. The succession of glass beads often imitates jewellery made of costly materials (gold, silver, semi-precious and precious stones).

Carved in the round with full beard and head of curly hair, deep-set eyes and small mouth, possibly the philosopher Aristotle. 21.8 kg, 30 cm



Acquired between the 1970s and 1980s. From the private collection of John Watson, Cambridge, UK. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12868-241366. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Plano-convex in section with exaggerated puffy cheeks and small pursed mouth; possibly from a putto in a figural frieze. 1.21 kg, 15.5 cm



Acquired in the 1992. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.