Roman Gold Boss Pendant

A designer necklace composed of mainly oblate beads, central feature composed of large barrel-shaped bead with a suspended glass ring below; restrung. 14.9 grams, 30.3 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). Green, blue-green, blue, yellow, and black drawn and rounded glass beads (like here) are late Roman types.

With piriform body, narrow dimpled base, tubular neck with pinched and everted rolled rim. 72 grams, 17.5 cm



Ex Mayfair, London, UK, gallery, 1990s-2000s. From an important collection of glass, the property of a London gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

A life-size bust showing the head turned slightly to the left, an expression of dignity on her face with broad cheeks and pronounced cheekbones, heavy eyelids with narrow eyes, gentle depressions around the full lips; hair arranged in tight curls leaving the ears exposed, small braids gathered and tied at the back with a double thong with two corkscrew curls falling on each side of the neck; the lower part of the neck framed by delicate folds of a tunic, palla covering her left shoulder; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 37.35 kg total, 43.5 cm including stand



Professor Elia Volpi (1858-1938) collection, Florence, prior to 1910. Vente de la Collection Elie Volpi; Hotel de Ventes Jandolo & Tavazzi, Florence, 25 April-3 May 1910, no.53, pl. XCII (illustrated). Private collection, France, likely Château de Beaumesnil, near Rouen. Provenant du Château de Beaumesnil et du Château de T...Objets d'Art et de Bel Ameublement Principalement du XVIIIe, Palais des Congres, Rouen, 20 February 1983. Anonymous sale; Hindman, Chicago, 25 May 2023, no,194. Acquired by the present owner at the above sale. 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.12768-237645. 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.

This portrait is striking due to the delicate yet exotic features of the subject and her elaborate coiffure. The sculpture was produced during a formative and highly sophisticated phase of Roman art, and during a time when portraits of women are much less common than those from later Imperial times. The preparation for a patch at the back of the head is seemingly ancient. Although she remains anonymous, given the sculpture's scale and scope, one can assume it portrays a person of note, who wished to be represented with the ideal and distinctive features of a Roman aristocrat. For a comparable portrait bust, see Agrippina Minor at the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (Acc. no.755).