Ancient Roman Collection of 5 faience melon beads
16
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Selected by Peter Reynaers
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Estimate € 230 - € 280
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Collection of five ancient Roman faience melon beads dating to the 1st–2nd century AD, each with pronounced vertical ribbing and traces of blue‑green glaze, diameters about 15.7–20.7 mm, in good wearable condition; acquired from an antique market in Belgium in 2025, with Certificate of Authenticity available on request for lots of €100 or more.
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Description from the seller
Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid.
Collection of five ancient Roman faience melon beads. Each bead is decorated with pronounced vertical ribbing and varies slightly in shape, reflecting their individual manufacture.
Diameter: range ± 20,7 - 15,7 mm
Condition: good and solid condition, wearable. The surfaces retain traces of the original blue-green glaze, now partly obscured by earthen deposits, discolouration and weathering.
-> Such beads were strung as elements of necklaces, bracelets and other personal ornaments.
Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request for all lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher.
-> Melon-shaped faience beads are known from ancient Egypt from at least the New Kingdom, while related examples continued to be used across the Mediterranean and in later European cultures.
-> Faience was very popular and widely used in ancient Egypt. The earliest evidence of faience production was discovered in a 7500 year old workshop near the temple in Abydos. The production and style of faience changed through Egyptian history.
Different colourants were used for aesthetic and symbolic purposes, or to imitate the more expensive and rare semi-precious gemstones like turquoise, carnelian, lapis lazuli, garnets or obsidian.
As faience was more available than semi-precious gemstones it became a popular and widely used material for small objects like scarabs and other forms of amulets, beads, jewellery, small size statuettes, cosmetic vessels and ritual objects.
During the Roman era, the technique and its products spread throughout the wider Mediterranean world. This versatile material continued to be appreciated for its vivid colour, lustrous surface and resemblance to precious stone. Faience continued to be used for jewellery and personal ornaments, with blue-green ribbed ‘melon beads’ becoming a particularly recognisable Roman form.
Seller's Story
Please read our information carefully.
*SHIPPING INFO Due to insurance procedures, combined shipping is only possible with a single payment. (1 payment reference = 1 insured parcel.) If you accept an offer after the auction and pay separately, shipments cannot be manually combined afterward. Please ensure your shipping address is complete and correct before paying. Changes made after payment are not automatically forwarded to us.
* CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) For insurance purposes we can provide a digital Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) for every item with a hammer price of Euro 100 or more. The COA is available upon request within 20 days of the auction date. Instructions will be provided when your order is shipped. Certificates are not included in the package.
* INSURANCE & CLAIMS All our parcels are shipped with external insurance. This insurance requires the following:
-> Monitor the online tracking and notify delays to the seller within 14 days after the shipping date.
-> In case of damage: write a reservation on the delivery note and report the damage to the seller via the Catawiki online chat within 24 hours. Keep all packaging and send us photos of the damage.
* MARGIN SCHEME: All our sales are subject to the margin scheme; therefore, no VAT is charged or shown on our invoices.
* IMPORTANT BUYERS OUTSIDE THE EU: We cannot ship to countries outside the European Union. Please ensure you have an EU shipping address before bidding. No exceptions can be made. Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU.
* DOCUMENTATION NOTICE: Previous invoices and import/export documents will not be shared with customers.
----------------------
Thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your bids!
Attention: due to customs regulations we can only ship inside the European Union. Please ensure you have a valid EU shipping address before placing a bid.
Collection of five ancient Roman faience melon beads. Each bead is decorated with pronounced vertical ribbing and varies slightly in shape, reflecting their individual manufacture.
Diameter: range ± 20,7 - 15,7 mm
Condition: good and solid condition, wearable. The surfaces retain traces of the original blue-green glaze, now partly obscured by earthen deposits, discolouration and weathering.
-> Such beads were strung as elements of necklaces, bracelets and other personal ornaments.
Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) is available upon request for all lots with a hammer price of €100 or higher.
-> Melon-shaped faience beads are known from ancient Egypt from at least the New Kingdom, while related examples continued to be used across the Mediterranean and in later European cultures.
-> Faience was very popular and widely used in ancient Egypt. The earliest evidence of faience production was discovered in a 7500 year old workshop near the temple in Abydos. The production and style of faience changed through Egyptian history.
Different colourants were used for aesthetic and symbolic purposes, or to imitate the more expensive and rare semi-precious gemstones like turquoise, carnelian, lapis lazuli, garnets or obsidian.
As faience was more available than semi-precious gemstones it became a popular and widely used material for small objects like scarabs and other forms of amulets, beads, jewellery, small size statuettes, cosmetic vessels and ritual objects.
During the Roman era, the technique and its products spread throughout the wider Mediterranean world. This versatile material continued to be appreciated for its vivid colour, lustrous surface and resemblance to precious stone. Faience continued to be used for jewellery and personal ornaments, with blue-green ribbed ‘melon beads’ becoming a particularly recognisable Roman form.
Seller's Story
Please read our information carefully.
*SHIPPING INFO Due to insurance procedures, combined shipping is only possible with a single payment. (1 payment reference = 1 insured parcel.) If you accept an offer after the auction and pay separately, shipments cannot be manually combined afterward. Please ensure your shipping address is complete and correct before paying. Changes made after payment are not automatically forwarded to us.
* CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY (COA) For insurance purposes we can provide a digital Certificate of Authenticity (PDF) for every item with a hammer price of Euro 100 or more. The COA is available upon request within 20 days of the auction date. Instructions will be provided when your order is shipped. Certificates are not included in the package.
* INSURANCE & CLAIMS All our parcels are shipped with external insurance. This insurance requires the following:
-> Monitor the online tracking and notify delays to the seller within 14 days after the shipping date.
-> In case of damage: write a reservation on the delivery note and report the damage to the seller via the Catawiki online chat within 24 hours. Keep all packaging and send us photos of the damage.
* MARGIN SCHEME: All our sales are subject to the margin scheme; therefore, no VAT is charged or shown on our invoices.
* IMPORTANT BUYERS OUTSIDE THE EU: We cannot ship to countries outside the European Union. Please ensure you have an EU shipping address before bidding. No exceptions can be made. Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom are not part of the EU.
* DOCUMENTATION NOTICE: Previous invoices and import/export documents will not be shared with customers.
----------------------
Thank you for your interest, and best of luck with your bids!
Details
Culture
Ancient Roman
Century/timeframe
1st-2nd century aD
Name of object
Collection of 5 faience melon beads
Acquired from
Antique market
Year acquired
2025
Country acquired from
Belgium
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Antique market
Previous owner - year acquired
2025
Previous owner - country acquired from
Belgium
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
Authenticity
Original/official
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