Roman Terracotta Wine Flagon

Comprising a domed vine-leaf with notched edge and incised veins, finial with lateral scrolled tendrils; pierced for attachment. 6.12 grams, 50 mm



Acquired on the London art market in the late 1980s-1990s. From the family collection of an East London, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

The sword of Pompeii typology was the main side weapon of the Roman legionary from the second half of the 1st century A.D. until the end of the 2nd century A.D. In the Flavian Age, the scabbard was decorated with various bronze appliques: openwork decorated copper-alloy plates and chape, and over the chape, this distinctive bronze foliage mount, used only for these typologies of scabbards.

Comprising small barrel-shaped lapis lazuli beads, large rock crystal beads in various shapes, two large multifacetted glass beads, smaller spherical glass beads, and others, some fragmentary. 80 grams total, 3-36 mm



From an English collection formed before 2000. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

Hollow-formed with fine detailing to the fingers and nails; with fixing points for a military standard (signum) used by each unit under a centurion, originally fixed with the palm facing forwards inside a wreath. 718 grams, 21 cm



Acquired in Europe before 2000. European private collection. 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.12003-211851. 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.

Roman military signa decorated by phalerae and surmounted by a right hand were used from the Late Consular Age. The hand (manus) symbolised the fides, i.e. the allegiance between the soldiers and the Res Publica. It is also possible that the hand belonged to a statue in which it was extended as a sign of silence, to allow the speaker to speak. However, the iconography of military hands, and also the resemblance to a bronze hand (military signum) preserved in the Vindonissa museum (Windisch), support the possibility that the object was part of a military standard.