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LOT 0835
Roman Light Blue Glass and Stone Bead Necklace String
1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D. AND LATER
16 1/2 in. (15.1 grams, 42 cm).
Composed of graduated beads with larger beads as a central feature; restrung. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom 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.
Cf. for similar necklaces in blue glass Johns, C., The Jewellery of Roman Britain, Celtic and Classical Traditions, London, 1996, p.100.
FootnotesSuch necklaces testify to the popularity of glass ornaments across the Roman Empire. Roman jewellery at first followed trends set by the Etruscans, using gold and glass beads, but with the extension of the Empire and the adoption of different styles from Greece, Egypt and North Africa, jewellery designs became increasingly various and elaborate. Each bead of this beautiful necklace is unique in shape, lustre and speckling, creating a mosaic-like impression. Blue glass beads can be grouped into opaque mid-blue and deep translucent cobalt blue types.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Roman Gryllus Gemstone
2nd-5th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Ellipsoid in plan with incuse Abraxas motif. 1.13 grams, 16 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London 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. -
Roman Black Glass Bead Necklace String
4th century A.D. and laterSold for (Inc. bp): £39
A designer necklace string composed of alternating oblate and barrel-shaped beads; central feature composed of larger beads including a conical and an annular bead, restrung. 13.7 grams, 31 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. -
Roman Carnelian Gemstone with Putto
2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Carnelian plaque with chamfered sidewall, intaglio scene with a putto attempting to put a wreath over the head of a hen. 0.34 grams, 9 mm
From the collection of a gentleman, acquired on the London 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.
