Roman Silver-Gilt Military Strap End

From the upper part of a vessel, displaying a bird, a satyr head and a caduceus, a leaping wild horse and a gladiator within a roundel. 71.9 grams, 98 mm



Acquired 1960s-1990s. From the late Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister.

These kind of fragments are often found in military camps. In addition to simple cooking pots, jugs, plates and mortars, the household effects of a contubernium (the smallest organised unit of soldiers in the Roman army composed of eight legionaries) also included finer eating and drinking utensils. To avoid confusion, many soldiers marked their dishes with their names and, if necessary, repaired them with the help of lead clips.

Including examples retaining hobnails and sections from various elements of (likely) different shoes. 30 grams total, 4.5-15 cm



Found Billingsgate spoil from the Thames foreshore, London, UK.

Modelled seated on a polygonal base wearing a paenula, the right hand placed on the left shoulder, head tilted to one side, right hand placed on a stela or lantern. 23.9 grams, 34 mm



‘The Ancient Menagerie Collection’ formerly the property of a Cambridgeshire lady, collected since the 1990s and acquired from auctions and dealers throughout Europe and the USA, now ex London collection.

The monkey is bearing a military sagum with cucullus and is holding beside him a squared lucerna. This representation can be a Roman military mascot or simply a grotesque. In 2001 in Spain, at Llivia, remains of Barbary apes with military belt buckles typically related to the late Roman period were discovered. The discovery of this type of belt buckle in a human grave would suggest that they were once a part of this army, so the fact that some were given to a Barbary ape means that the apes played a military role, for example, acted as targets to distract the enemy, or were used in type of a combat or for defence. Apes were also a very common form of pet in the Graeco-Roman world.