Roman Marble Head of a Woman

Including fragment of greyware pottery rim, glass oblate and other beads, a bone phallus amulet and other items; with late 19th century handwritten label 'Pottery / Roman Camp/ Capchoke' and 'Mr Stirling / St Boswells' inked to verso, along with postage tag attached with Victorian postage stamp stamped 'St Boswells 5th July 1896'. 48 grams total, 79 x 59 x 34 mm



Found at Camp Capchoke in the 19th century. From the collection of Mr Stirling of St Boswells, UK, circa 1896, thence by descent. Ian Wilkinson collection, Nottinghamshire, UK, formed since 1985. Accompanied by a handwritten provenance note.

St Boswells is situated a few miles from Melrose, Scotland. Gadrooned beads like the ones here illustrated are found in 1st and 2nd century contexts and seem to have been introduced into this country at the conquest. Most are made of turquoise frit, which often decays to white. The dark blue glass here illustrated finds a perfect parallel with a specimen found in Colchester.

Hollow-formed head with flaccid features, rim to reverse and mounting bar. 17.14 grams, 23 mm



From a Suffolk, UK, collection, 1990s-2000s.

Composed of a discoid body with sunken discus bearing a scene of two gladiators in combat in relief, tabula ansata below, ring handle and roughly D-shaped nozzle with volutes; old crack to base. 84 grams, 12.4 cm



From a German collection. Ex Cambridge, UK, collection, 1980s.

The two gladiators seem to be wearing the armaturae of murmillones. All gladiators began their career as provocatores; the learning of their combat technique was polyvalent and allowed the fighters to specialise as a large shield-bearer (the scutati) like murmillones, or as a small shield-bearer, parmati, like the oplomachus.