Roman Silver Ring with Carnelian Gemstone

Matched pair each formed from two twisted rods, with snake-head detailing to the finials. 123 grams total, 71-74 mm



From the private collection of a London gentleman, from his grandfather's collection formed before the early 1970s.

With flared finials developing to serpents' heads with hatched detailing; repaired. 18.5 grams, 75 mm



From a collection acquired on the UK art market from various auction houses and collections mostly before 2000. From an important Cambridgeshire estate; thence by descent.

With C-section profile to the blade, rectangular handle with flare to the upper end, old notch to one edge, repaired. 46 grams, 19 cm



Ex collection Dr. Kuhn-Lucht, Germany. with Kölner Munzkabinett, Cologne, before 2016. Private European collection.

An emblematic instrument of the ancient sporting world, the strigil was mainly used by athletes as a scraper for personal hygiene. After training, which took place in the gymnasiums on tracks and arenas covered with sand, athletes and young people rubbed their skin with olive oil. They then used one of these distinctive scrapers remove the sand-oil mixture before washing in water. These actions are reproduced on famous statues (including Apoxyomenos, one of Lysippus’ masterpieces), on reliefs (such as funerary steles) as well as on countless vase paintings. In Attic and Italian red-figure imagery, the strigil is often depicted on perfume vases, like the aryballos and alabastron.