Romano-British Bronze Stone Mason or Architect's Dividers

A massive parallelepiped block, square in section, grey-brown in colour. 2.79 kg, 19.5 x 20.2 cm



Found near Wingham, Kent, UK. 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. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

In Kent, nearby Dover, there is the site of a Roman villa located in a field named The Vineyards. The site was excavated in 1881-82 during which time a hypocaust, tessellated pavement, bath house and a quern were found. The hypocaust was dated to two periods and a quern was found on a tessellated pavement.

With a wide, grooved hoop expanding at the shoulders, rectangular plaque with ropework border enclosing amuletic inscription 'ToT, an abbreviation for the name of the Celtic god Toutatis. 5.02 grams, 23.37 mm overall, 19.65 mm internal diameter (approximate size British P, USA 7 1/2, Europe 16.23, Japan 15)



Ex private collection, 1970s. Property of a Nottinghamshire gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.

A number of rings have been found in eastern Roman Britain inscribed with the word TOT. It is thought that they refer to the Celtic deity Toutatis, later associated by the Romans with Mars and Mercury. The rings have been found mainly in the area corresponding to the native British tribe of the Corieltauvi who may have worshipped Toutatis as their primary tribal deity. The likelihood of the presence of his cult is strengthened by several inscriptions found in Britain mentioning this deity. However, his origin may be sought in the religion of the Continental Celtae, as the Roman writer Lucan in the 1st century AD mentioned the worship of 'Teutatis' together with two other deities, Esus and Taranis.

With tubular crossbar, three onion-shaped knops with balustered collars, deep trapezoidal-section bow with coiled wire to the junction, D-section footplate with chamfered edges. 58 grams, 72 mm



Ex German art market, 2000s. Acquired from an EU collector living in London. From the collection of Surrey, UK, gentleman. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D’Amato.