Roman, Imperial, ca. 1st to 4th century CE. A striking necklace featuring 12 tubular carved bone beads adorned with diagonal striations, several disc, barrel, and tab-shaped bone beads, 3 stone beads of spherical form, 2 modern brass barrel beads with diamond-shaped patterns, and a modern brass pendant. Flanked by two spherical stone beads, one of deep grey incised vertically and the other a greyish-maroon embellished with target designs, the lustrous bronze-hued pendant depicts the face of a Roman woman or goddess, perhaps Venus (Greek Aphrodite) due to the starfish above her head, rendered in high relief. Moving away from the pendant, the beads are arranged in a near identical pattern on either side with a series of tabbed bone beads, a singular brass barrel bead, many barrel and discoid bone beads, a tubular bone bead flanked on either side by more tab-shaped beads, and then a row of tubular bone beads that meet at another spherical stone with vertical stripes. Size of pendant: 2.125" W x 2.125" H (5.4 cm x 5.4 cm); Size of chain: 21" L (53.3 cm)
Provenance: private Arcadia, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2000
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#160951
Condition
Expected surface wear on bone beads with nicks/chips, abrasions, and staining, commensurate with age. Small nick to brow of pendant. Otherwise, intact and excellent with light patina to brass and nice earthen deposits in recessed areas throughout. Strung in modern times with modern findings.