Ancient Roman Bronze Pendant - 32 mm (No reserve price)

"Ancient Roman Bronze Pendant with Geometric Openwork Design

Culture / Period: Ancient Roman
Date / Period: 1st–2nd century AD
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 32 mm
Condition: Good condition, with age-related wear, surface oxidation and natural dark green-brown patination. The geometric openwork design and suspension loop are well preserved. See photographs for details.

No shipping outside the European Union. Due to complex export regulations concerning cultural goods, this item cannot be shipped outside the EU. Please ensure you have a delivery address within the European Union before placing a bid.

Provenance information:

Object Registration ID: 1060

The current owner (S.N.J. S.) purchased the bronze pendant from J.P. in Eijsden, the Netherlands.

The previous owner, J.P. from Eijsden (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:

Bronze pendants and decorative suspension fittings were widely used throughout the Roman Empire during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Such objects formed part of personal accessories, clothing attachments, leather equipment and decorative fittings. Their designs frequently combined practical suspension features with geometric ornamentation, reflecting the established metalworking traditions of the early Roman Imperial period.

This example features a distinctive openwork construction consisting of three connected geometric elements: a rectangular opening at one end, a rounded central opening and a circular suspension loop at the opposite end. The carefully arranged forms create a balanced and recognisable design, demonstrating the Roman preference for combining functional construction with decorative metalwork.

Openwork bronze fittings were a characteristic element of Roman craftsmanship. The use of circular, oval and rectangular openings allowed craftsmen to create visually attractive ornaments while reducing their weight. Similar decorative principles were employed in personal accessories, belt fittings, horse harness equipment and other objects associated with everyday Roman life.

During the early Roman Imperial period, bronze ornaments were used by both civilians and soldiers. Suspension fittings could be attached to leather straps, belts, harnesses or personal belongings, serving practical and decorative purposes. Such accessories were particularly common in military and equestrian equipment, where bronze fittings contributed to the appearance and functionality of leather harnesses and straps.

Roman bronze fittings were generally manufactured through casting, followed by filing, smoothing and additional finishing. Their production formed part of an organised craft tradition, with specialised workshops supplying metal accessories to towns, military settlements and civilian communities throughout the Empire.

During the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, particularly under the Flavian, Trajanic, Hadrianic and Antonine emperors, extensive commercial and military networks connected the Mediterranean world with the northern Roman provinces. Bronze ornaments and fittings circulated across large distances, reaching regions such as present-day France, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands."} } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } } }