Ancient Roman Astragalus or Knucklebone - Gaming Piece in the shape of a sheep's knuckle bone Circa 1st-3rd century AD This gaming piece is in the form of an astragalus (knucklebone) from a sheep. It has the characteristic double-concave profile with two rounded ends and four landing faces, closely imitating the natural talus bone. In ancient Rome, knucklebone games were played by children and adults for amusement and gambling. Players tossed sets of astragali and scored according to which face landed uppermost. Astragali were made from real bones as well as bronze, glass, or stone, and their unequal faces gave different odds compared with cubic dice. Dimensions: 3cm x 2cm x 1,5cm Provenance: Private European Collection; formerly acquired from old UK and European collection formed since the 1970s. Disclaimer: NO SHIPPING OUTSIDE of THE EUROPEAN UNION. All items will be shipped from Belgium. The seller guarantees and can prove that the object was obtained legally. The seller was informed by Catawiki that they had to provide the documentation required by the laws and regulations in their country of residence. The seller guarantees and is entitled to sell/export this object. The seller will provide all provenance information known about the object to the buyer. The seller ensures that any necessary permits are/will be arranged. The seller will inform the buyer immediately about any delays in obtaining such permits. The seller will not ship outside the EU.