Roman Mosaic Glass Beads

Composed of mixed graduated beads with larger beads as a central feature; restrung. 19.3 grams, 40.5 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).

An irregular diploma fragment with seven partial lines of densely arranged text to one side and nine lines of partial text to the other, translating to: a: [i]MP(erator) CAES(ar) DIVI HADRI[ani f(ilius) divi traiani] / 31 letters PART(hici) NEP(os) DIVI NERV[ae pron(epos) t(itus) aelius had] / 31 letters RIAN[u]S ANTONIN[us aug(ustus) pius pont(ifex) max(imus) / 29 letters [t]RIB(unicia) P[ot(estate) x]XIV IMP(erator) [ii co(n)s(ul) iv p(ater) p(atriae)] / 23 letters EQVITIB(us) ET PEDITIB[us qui milit(averunt) in al(is)] / 30 letters [iii qua]E APPELL(antur) I AVG(usta) GA[ll(orum) et i gall(orum)] / 28 letters [taurian(a)1 et] TAVRI[a]N(a) C(ivium) [r(omanorum) victr(ix) et coh(ortibus) ..2] / 29 letters [iii astur(um) c(ivium) r(omanorum) et ii s]VR(orum) SAG(ittariorum) ET [6-10 letters] / 28-30 letts [14-16 letters c(ivium)] R(omanorum) ET II [8-10 letters] // 28-30 letters? b: [i]MP(erator) CAES(ar) [divi hadriani f(ilius) divi traiani part(ici) nep(os)] / 38 letters DIVI [nervae pron(epos) t(itus) aelius hadrianus] / 30 letters ANTON[inus aug(ustus) pius pont(ifex) max(imus) trib(unicia) pot(estate)] / 30 letters XXIV [imp(erator) ii co(n)s(ul) iv p(ater) p(atriae)] / 16 letters EQVITIB(us) E[t peditibus qui milit(averunt) in al(is) iii quae appell(antur) i aug(usta)] / 47 letters GALL(orum) ET I G[all(orum) taurian(a)3 et taurian(a) c(ivium) r(omanorum) victr(ix) et coh(ortibus) ..4 iii] / 44 letters ASTVR(um) [c(ivium)] R(omanorum) E[t ii sur(orum) sag(ittariorum) .... i ituraeor(um)?5] /40 letters C(ivium) R(omanorum) ET V DAMAT[(arum)6 c(ivium) r(omanorum) et ii hispan(orum) et iv gall(orum)?7 et i asturum] / 38 letters ET CALLAE[c(orum)] E[t ........] / [ca. 6 letters] C(ivium) R(omanorum) ET [.......] / [.... et sunt in mauretania tingitana sub q(uinto) claudio feroce aeronio montano]. 12 grams, 53 mm



Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a gentleman collector. Accompanied by a copy of an illustrated transliteration report by Dr Ittai Gradel. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Piriform body on disc foot, tapering neck and applied collar to each end, broad everted rim, strap handle to the rear; in amber-coloured iridescent glass. 274 grams, 23.5 cm

Some repairs to the rim.

Mayfair, London, UK, gallery, 2000s. Ex Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.