Roman Bracelet Group | 2 Penannular + Hooked Armband

Roman, Imperial period. Three hand-forged bangles in graduated sizes, each shaft lightly faceted by the hammer. The largest is copper, a slender round-section hoop with overlapping ends, one curled into a small loop and hooked back on itself so the bracelet could be opened and closed around the wrist. The middle one is brass, its band tapering gently to blunt, slightly flattened ends. The smallest is a copper-lead alloy, left open with unfinished ends. All three have a green patina with earthen deposits. Plain wire bracelets like these were common jewelry in the Roman provinces, worn by women and children and inexpensive enough for everyday use. Roman metalworkers adjusted their alloys to purpose rather than recipe. Brass (copper and zinc), introduced to the Roman world in the first century BCE and produced by the cementation process, was prized for its gold-like color and was widely used for military fittings and modest personal ornament. Leaded copper alloys flowed more easily and cost less, making them the workhorse of provincial casting shops. That three bracelets from a single group should differ in composition is entirely characteristic: such ornaments were acquired piecemeal, from different hands and different decades, and accumulated on the arm over a lifetime. Please note that the most petite bracelet contains up to 18.1% lead. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. Item # 204915

Estimate:£167.78

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