Roman Pale Blue Glass Unguentarium

Discoid appliqué with beaded rim and a repoussé imperial bust to the centre, the bearded male looking right and wearing a laurel wreath and a military cloak. 3.46 grams, 64 mm



Acquired in the early 1990s. From the collection of a London antiquarian. Accompanied by an academic report by Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

The subject is represented as an imperator or field general, recalling the image of a victorious emperor, iconography widely in use in the late Roman Empire.

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.

Two fragments of burnished ceramic bowl, the larger with label reading 'Roman Samian / Moorgate Court / London / March 1928'; the smaller ''Roman Samian / from Moorgate St. London / Jan. 1930'. 115 grams total, 4.9-10 cm



Found Moorgate, London, UK, 1928-1930. From the collection of a late East Anglian teacher and antiquarian who retired to the Isle of Wight in Hampshire, UK. He amassed a large collection of objects between the 1960s-1980s.