Roman - Thirteen Piece Millefiori Military Sword Belt Set > Lot No. 704

Description:
Circa 3rd century AD. Carefully decorated sword belt of a wealthy and high-status Roman soldier; plate set consisting of seven circular studs inlaid with millefiori enamel, each with nine protruding lugs; two further similar studs without lugs; four rectangular openwork plates each comprising a central bar to which is attached two blue and one red elliptical enamel cells, the ends decorated with a lunar arrangement with a medial turquoise 'arrowhead' (13).

Measurements:
180 grams total, 30 - 70 mm.

Condition:
Fine with the majority of millefiori in good condition. Rare.

Comments notes:
Millefiori, the Italian for '1000 flowers', is the name given to this particularly delicate and beautiful form of vitreous decoration. The flowers are formed by stacking, fusing and stretching strips of coloured glass into rods which are then sliced into slabs displaying geometric check or speckled patterns.

Estimate: £1,300 - 1,800 (EUR 1,610 - 2,230; USD 2,060 - 2,850)

Auction date: Thursday 9th September 2010 at The Swedenborg Hall 20-21 Bloomsbury Way
London WC1A 2TH

Sold for: £1,500