Roman Military Baldric Fitting

A nicolo gemstone with profile portrait bust, set in a 2nd century A.D. hollow-formed gold ring with granule clusters to the shoulders. 2.55 grams, 23.99 mm overall, 16.55 mm internal diameter (approximate size British M, USA 6, Europe 12.46, Japan 12)



UK private collection, since 1956. Formed in the 1950s by by Mr and Mrs S. Broukal, thence by decent. with Bonham's, London, New Bond Street, 30 November 2016, lot 155 [Part]. English private collection.

A suite of gold and garnet jewellery, comprising a matching pair of gold earrings, each composed of a hollow crescentic body tapering to slender coiled wire terminals, a suspension loop to each shoulder, large tear-shaped cell to front with granulated border, set with a polished garnet cabochon, gold bulbs below in the form of a bunch of grapes, adorned with smaller granules and three cells set with polished garnet cabochons; the necklace elements comprising graduated beads, alternating between roughly spherical polished garnets and sheet-gold beads of various types including gusseted, biconical and tubular, two floral filigree pendants flanking a central pendant ornamented with 'plaited' and plain filigree wire with granules to the outside, finial of trefoil bulbs, central corrugated cell set with a polished garnet cabochon; mounted on a custom-made perspex display base. 435 grams total, display stand: 30 x 23.5 cm (earrings: 38 mm each)



Ex private European collection, 1970s. with Genève Enchères, 14 December 2017, Lot 999. 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.11584-199015.

Beryls, used as small pendants, and not placed horizontally, characterised Roman necklaces of 2nd century A.D. A typical example is the necklace found in the grave of Crepereia Tryphaena. The contents of the grave are dated to the Antonine age based on the sarcophagus, the inscription and the hairstyle of the doll it contains.

An emerald green glass unguentarium with a slender piriform body and tubular neck with rolled rim; iridescent surfaces. 21.3 grams, 10.1 cm



Acquired 1980-2015. Ex Abelita family collection.