Roman Mosaic with Pomegranate

Modelled in the round as a standing eagle with its wings spread, the overlapping wingtips covering the short tail; incised feather detailing to the body and wings, wide head with detailed eyes, remains of a military insignia (a victory wreath or fish?) held in its hooked beak; mounted on a custom-made display stand. 180 grams total, 76 mm high including stand



Found Kempsey, Malvern Hills, Worcestershire, UK. Accompanied by a copy of the British Museum's Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) report no.WAW-19C7C8. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Both Ovid and Plutarch place the inception of manipular ensigns with Romulus, where bundles (manipuli) of hay were tied to high poles which served as rallying points for units of the army. Eventually, icons of animals replaced these ensigns: the eagle, wolf, Minotaur, horse, and boar. In 107 B.C., Gaius Marius made sweeping military reforms and the Aquila became the sole standard of the legion, which according to (Pliny NH. 10.5.16) ‘By making the Aquila the standard for all legions improved unity and gave soldiers a symbol that expressed their attachment to an all-encompassing body, to which the soldiers’ loyalty could be directed’. Due to its place at the head of each legion, it became the emblem of the Roman legions, which enforced Roman rule in the provinces, giving the eagle its connotation of dominion.

Round-section stem with balustered finial and rectangular plaque to the other end, shallow round bowl. 20.6 grams, 12.9 cm



Private collection, Switzerland, 1992. Thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

With the bust of the emperor facing left, laurel wreath in his curly hair with ribbons falling behind his head, beard with characteristic forked tip, mounted in a large broad silver hoop widening to an oval bezel inset with a gold border. 18.89 grams, 28.88 mm overall, 21.34 mm internal diameter (approximate size British X 1/2, USA 11 3/4, Europe 26.92, Japan 25)



English private collection, 1980s-1990s. with Christie's, London, 7 October 2010, no.204. European private collection, acquired in 2010. Accompanied by copies of the relevant Christie's catalogue pages. 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 a search certificate number no.12609-234621. This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Comparison with contemporary coinage confirms that this bust with its prominent nose, chin, curly hair and forked tip beard, represents Septimius Severus (193-211 A.D.), and the image certainly conveys the strong character of the commander who led the Roman army to victory, not only in Europe but also in the Middle East. A similar portrait can be seen on the cameo in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (accession no.99.368). In the Boston cameo the emperor is likewise seen in profile, facing right, and his beard, with the forked tip, is identical. Another good comparison is with the cameo of the Imperial family preserved at the Cabinet des Medailles, Paris (Petruccioli, 2011, fig.230). Cameos and rings of this typology were often gifted and gifted to members of the Imperial entourage, and were a great instrument of Imperial propaganda.