Lot 133
Roman, Imperial period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A varied and visually engaging group of Roman metal ornaments, likely associated with equestrian gear, military display, or decorative harness attachments, each bearing the unmistakable imprint of Roman symbolic language and craftsmanship. The group includes a pierced brass leaf-form ornament, its serrated edges and veined surface evoking vegetal abundance and fertility, motifs commonly employed in Roman decorative metalwork. Nearby is an abstract brass attachment centered by a diminutive horse figure, flanked by articulated dangles that would have moved rhythmically with motion, catching light and sound as the animal advanced. Such animated elements were favored for horse trappings, lending both spectacle and symbolic vitality to the ensemble. Size of largest (leaf): 2.8" W x 3.5" H (7.1 cm x 8.9 cm)
Also present is a bronze lunula or lunate pendant, crescent-shaped and once silvered, now softened by time to a pale, mottled surface. Lunulae were potent amuletic forms in the Roman world, associated with protection, cyclical renewal, and celestial forces, and were worn by both humans and animals as talismans against misfortune. Completing the group is a leaded bronze wheel of fortune, its radiating spokes suggesting fate, cosmic order, or divine governance, themes deeply embedded in Roman religious thought.
Together, these ornaments form a compelling snapshot of Roman material culture at the intersection of utility, belief, and display. Their weathered surfaces, traces of original finishes, and varied iconography speak to lives once in motion - horses adorned, metals glinting, symbols doing their quiet work of protection and power.
Provenance: private Dayton, Maryland, USA collection; ex-private F. B. collection, Maryland, USA, acquired between 1990 to 2010
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#200361
- Condition: Lunate pendant is missing one tip and possible losses to pendant with dangles. All have heavy weathering with nicks and abrasions commensurate with age, but, otherwise, leave and wheel are intact and all have rich patinas and encrustations. Wheel is sent on a modern suspension loop.
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