Interiors & Decorations

Jewellery & Precious Stones

Watches, Pens & Lighters

Fashion

Coins & Stamps

Comics & Animation

Classic Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia

Wine, Whisky & Spirits

Asian & Tribal Art

Trading Cards

Toys & Models

Archaeology & Natural History

Sports

Music, Movies & Cameras

Books & Historical Memorabilia

The finest objects brought to you by {name}

Ruth Garrido Vila

ITEM: Dice
MATERIAL: Bone
CULTURE: Roman
PERIOD: 1st - 3rd Century A.D
DIMENSIONS: 8 mm x 8 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex German private collection, acquired before 1990s

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export license

If you bid outside the european union and win the item, we will have to apply for an export licence for your country and shipping will take 3 to 5 weeks.

Roman dice made from bone offer intriguing insights into the recreational activities and gaming culture of ancient Rome. Dice games were immensely popular among people of all social classes and were played for entertainment, gambling, and even religious rituals. 

Bone Roman dice typically featured six sides, each marked with dots or pips representing numbers ranging from one to six. The numbering system on Roman dice was often arranged in such a way that opposite sides of the dice added up to seven, a design feature known as "opposite faces add up to seven" or "sevens-out." This design ensured fairness and randomness in the outcome of dice rolls, crucial for maintaining the integrity of the game.

Roman dice were not only used for recreational purposes but also held cultural and symbolic significance. Dice games were often associated with concepts of luck, fate, and fortune, and were sometimes employed in divination practices to predict the outcome of future events. The imagery and symbolism associated with dice were also reflected in Roman art and literature, where dice games were depicted as common pastimes enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

1st - 3rd Century A.D

Ancient Roman Bone Dice  (No reserve price)

Archaeology

Reserve price

No reserve price

Buy now

Budget

From

Closing date

Thursday

26 April

Sunday

Monday

Saturday

21 April

tomorrow

Friday

today

Location

United Kingdom

Spain

Belgium

France

Italy

The Netherlands

Germany

Austria

Poland

Denmark

Hong Kong

United States

Czech Republic

Portugal

Lithuania

Romania

Ireland

Norway

Taiwan

Dimensions

Height

Width

Depth

Object

Ring

Raw mineral

Carved mineral

Ancient jewellery and beads

Ancient tools

Pendant

Vase

Ancient artwork

Ancient sculptures carvings and figurines

Amulet

Armour helmet

Sculpture

Fibula

Taxidermy full body mount

Sea shell

Ancient seals and stamps

Statue

Arrow head

Cameo

Spear

Ancient weapons and armour

Bracelet

Bowl

Country of origin

Unknown

Europe

Netherlands

Egypt

Canada

Madagascar

China

Switzerland

Brazil

Japan

Africa

Luxembourg

Mexico

Sweden

Afghanistan

Material

Bronze

Terracotta

Faience

Silver

Glass

Ceramic

Flint

Gold

Pottery

Iron

Stone

Earthenware

Alabaster

Carnelian

Bone

Stoneware

Marble

Lead

Steel

Wood

Yellow gold

Iron (cast/wrought)

Schist

Steatite

Stucco

Gender

Unisex

Women

Condition

Good

Excellent

Very good

Very good +

Very good condition - slightly used with small signs of wear

Good condition - used with some signs of wear

Good condition

Fair

Excellent condition - barely used with minimal signs of wear

Good condition - used with small signs of aging & blemishes

Poor

As new - unused

Excellent condition: barely used with minimal signs of wear

Natural

Fair condition - used with visible signs of wear

Fair condition -  heavily used & with possibly minor parts missing

Fair condition, see description

Excellent condition

Good condition - used with small signs of ageing

Good condition, see description

Fair condition

Ungraded

Hand carved

Enhanced

Extras

No extra's

Period

1850-1900

1800-1850

1960-1970

Cretaceous, Lower (145 - 100.5 million years)

2010-2020

1970-1980

2020+

Independence (1947-present)

1980-1990

Paleogene, Eocene (56 - 33.9 million years)

Devonian, Middle (393.3 - 382.7 million years)

Yuan-Ming Dynasty

1400-1450

1600-1650

Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.)

Northern Song (960-1127)

1940-1950

1900-1910

1990-2000

1930-1940

Quaternary, Pleistocene (2.58 - 0.0117 million years)

Devonian (419.2 - 358.9 million years)

1650-1700

1700-1750

2024

Coral

Onyx

Certification

No laboratory report

Non-CITES species

CITES Appendix II - Annex B in the EU

Style

Ancient Roman

Ancient Egyptian

Medieval, Crusaders Era

Viking Era

Ancient Roman, Empire

Bronze Age

Byzantine

Western Asiatic

Post-medieval

Ancient Greek

Ancient Egypt, Late Period

Neolithic

Archaeology

This object is no longer available, but there’s still lots to explore

Ancient Roman Bone Dice (No reserve price)

Popular in Archaeology

1544 objects

Related collections