Ancient Roman Bronze Thimble - 28 mm

Ancient Roman Bronze Thimble

Culture / Period: Ancient Roman
Date / Period: 1st - 2nd century A.D.
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 28 mm
Condition: Good condition

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Provenance information:
Object Registration ID: 823

The current owner purchased the Ancient Roman Bronze Thimble from a private collector in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

The previous owner, a private collector, N.N. from Utrecht (the Netherlands), stated that the object had been in his collection since the 1990s.

According to the previous owner, the object had previously been in a private collection in the Netherlands since the 1990s.

No further information concerning the earlier ownership history of the object was available from the previous owner.

Background Information:

This bronze thimble is an authentic example of a Roman sewing implement dating to the Early Imperial period. Its characteristic domed form is covered with hundreds of carefully punched dimples, providing a textured surface that allowed the user to press a sewing needle securely without slipping. The reinforced rim and robust construction made it a durable tool for repeated daily use.

Thimbles were indispensable in Roman textile production, where garments, cloaks, tents, leather goods, and household fabrics required continual manufacture and repair. They were used by women within the household as well as by professional tailors (sarcinatores), leatherworkers, and craftsmen attached to military units responsible for maintaining soldiers' clothing and equipment.

Roman bronze thimbles were cast and finished by skilled metalworkers using well-established manufacturing techniques. Examples of this type have been recovered from settlements, villas, military forts, and urban centres throughout the Roman Empire, demonstrating the widespread importance of textile craftsmanship. Such tools were traded across large distances, reaching regions including present-day Germany, France, Britain, and the Netherlands.

Dating to the 1st–2nd century A.D., this thimble belongs to the height of the Roman Imperial period, when textile production formed an essential part of both the domestic economy and military logistics.

This piece provides a direct and tangible connection to the everyday lives of the people of the Roman Empire, illustrating how even small personal tools played a vital role in daily work, craftsmanship, and the production and maintenance of clothing.