Roman Green Glass Bead Necklace String

With C-section profile to the blade, rectangular handle with openwork slots to the upper end, impressed fishtail motif at the lower; mounted on a custom-made stand. 394 grams total, 20.5 cm high including stand



Ex Louis-Gabriel Bellon (1819?-1899), France. Acquired from Jack-Philippe Ruellan, 4 April 2009, no.279. Accompanied by a copy of a French cultural passport no.111441.

Carved in the round with fleshy facial features, almond-shaped eyes and small pouting mouth; the hair modelled with hollowed curls above the brow; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 1.6 kg total, 17 cm high including stand



Found Cambridgeshire, UK. From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

These kind of sculptures represented people or divinities of the Roman Britannia. They are found in several civilian tombstones, characterised by provincial style, that was enhanced by colouring which is absent today. The image here represented is a domina (a high-status middle-aged woman) in a typical hairstyle of 2nd-3rd century A.D. (Graham, 1984, p.222). In these provincial artworks the strong influence of the Celtic art is evident, especially in the eyes and hair of the sculpture.

Comprising a crescentic pendant with keeled arms, applied suspension loop. 2.42 grams, 29 mm



Acquired before 1980. Ex property of a South London collector.