Ancient Roman, Empire Bronze 古代ローマの青銅製 出産・生殖の護符 女性が出産している姿を描く
12
days
09
hours
27
minutes
56
seconds
No bids placed
Catawiki Buyer Protection
Your payment’s safe with us until you receive your object.View details
Trustpilot 4.4 | 143727 reviews
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot.
Description from the seller
Ancient Roman Bronze Childbirth Amulet – Woman in the Act of Giving Birth
Roman Imperial Period, circa 1st–3rd century AD
Material: Bronze
Weight: 4.4 g
Dimensions: 22.0 × 10.0 × 7.9 mm
From a Private European Collection.
A fascinating and exceptionally uncommon Ancient Roman bronze amulet depicting a woman in the act of giving birth, an extraordinarily intimate image associated with fertility, pregnancy, motherhood and protection during childbirth.
Despite its remarkably small size of only 22 mm, the figure possesses a striking symbolic presence. The woman is represented frontally, with her body deliberately emphasised and her legs separated around the pelvic area. The unusual posture draws particular attention to the female body and the act of childbirth itself.
A powerful symbol of childbirth and protection:
For a Roman woman, pregnancy and childbirth represented some of the most important and vulnerable moments of life. In Roman society, childbirth was not regarded solely as a physical event. Religion, superstition, protective magic and appeals for divine assistance could accompany pregnancy and delivery.
Small amulets therefore had a significance far beyond their modest dimensions. Worn or carried close to the body, they could serve as tangible symbols of protection, good fortune and hope for a successful birth.
The imagery of the present amulet is particularly remarkable because it appears to confront the moment of childbirth directly. Rather than employing an abstract symbol of fertility, the ancient craftsman created a miniature representation of the woman herself, her body becoming the central protective image.
An intimate Roman protective amulet:
The surviving suspension element indicates that the figure was intended to be worn or suspended, rather than functioning simply as a miniature statuette.
It may therefore have accompanied its ancient owner as a deeply personal protective talisman, potentially during pregnancy and childbirth. Such an object could have embodied hopes for fertility, a safe delivery and the wellbeing of both mother and child.
Its function can also be understood within the wider Roman tradition of apotropaic amulets – objects intended to avert harmful influences and attract favourable forces or divine protection.
Closely related miniature bronze amulets depicting squatting women with their knees apart survive in museum collections, including examples interpreted as representing a woman in the act of parturition, providing an important parallel for the extraordinary iconography of the present piece.
Between the human and the divine:
The birth of a child occupied a special position in Roman religious life. The dangers surrounding pregnancy and delivery encouraged appeals to supernatural and divine protection.
Within this context, a tiny amulet such as this would have been much more than jewellery. It could represent a physical connection between its wearer and the protective powers upon which she relied.
Held in the hand or worn close to the body, the little bronze figure may have served simultaneously as a symbol of fertility, a good-luck charm and an appeal for protection during childbirth.
The intimate nature of the representation is what makes the object particularly compelling today. Unlike monumental Roman sculpture celebrating emperors, gods or military victories, this tiny bronze takes us into an entirely different world: the private fears, hopes and beliefs of an ordinary individual living almost two thousand years ago.
The dark ancient patina and surviving surface deposits further enhance the archaeological character of the piece, while the miniature three-dimensional figure remains clearly recognisable from different angles.
An exceptionally uncommon and evocative example of Roman personal religion and protective belief, combining fertility, motherhood, childbirth and the hope for divine protection in a remarkably small object.
A tiny Roman amulet carrying an intensely human message: the ancient hope for new life, protection and a safe birth.
I prove that the lot was obtained legally , provenance statement seen by Catawiki
Important information. I guarantee that I am entitled to ship this lot.
I will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged.
I will inform the buyer about this if this takes more than a few days.
Ancient Roman Bronze Childbirth Amulet – Woman in the Act of Giving Birth
Roman Imperial Period, circa 1st–3rd century AD
Material: Bronze
Weight: 4.4 g
Dimensions: 22.0 × 10.0 × 7.9 mm
From a Private European Collection.
A fascinating and exceptionally uncommon Ancient Roman bronze amulet depicting a woman in the act of giving birth, an extraordinarily intimate image associated with fertility, pregnancy, motherhood and protection during childbirth.
Despite its remarkably small size of only 22 mm, the figure possesses a striking symbolic presence. The woman is represented frontally, with her body deliberately emphasised and her legs separated around the pelvic area. The unusual posture draws particular attention to the female body and the act of childbirth itself.
A powerful symbol of childbirth and protection:
For a Roman woman, pregnancy and childbirth represented some of the most important and vulnerable moments of life. In Roman society, childbirth was not regarded solely as a physical event. Religion, superstition, protective magic and appeals for divine assistance could accompany pregnancy and delivery.
Small amulets therefore had a significance far beyond their modest dimensions. Worn or carried close to the body, they could serve as tangible symbols of protection, good fortune and hope for a successful birth.
The imagery of the present amulet is particularly remarkable because it appears to confront the moment of childbirth directly. Rather than employing an abstract symbol of fertility, the ancient craftsman created a miniature representation of the woman herself, her body becoming the central protective image.
An intimate Roman protective amulet:
The surviving suspension element indicates that the figure was intended to be worn or suspended, rather than functioning simply as a miniature statuette.
It may therefore have accompanied its ancient owner as a deeply personal protective talisman, potentially during pregnancy and childbirth. Such an object could have embodied hopes for fertility, a safe delivery and the wellbeing of both mother and child.
Its function can also be understood within the wider Roman tradition of apotropaic amulets – objects intended to avert harmful influences and attract favourable forces or divine protection.
Closely related miniature bronze amulets depicting squatting women with their knees apart survive in museum collections, including examples interpreted as representing a woman in the act of parturition, providing an important parallel for the extraordinary iconography of the present piece.
Between the human and the divine:
The birth of a child occupied a special position in Roman religious life. The dangers surrounding pregnancy and delivery encouraged appeals to supernatural and divine protection.
Within this context, a tiny amulet such as this would have been much more than jewellery. It could represent a physical connection between its wearer and the protective powers upon which she relied.
Held in the hand or worn close to the body, the little bronze figure may have served simultaneously as a symbol of fertility, a good-luck charm and an appeal for protection during childbirth.
The intimate nature of the representation is what makes the object particularly compelling today. Unlike monumental Roman sculpture celebrating emperors, gods or military victories, this tiny bronze takes us into an entirely different world: the private fears, hopes and beliefs of an ordinary individual living almost two thousand years ago.
The dark ancient patina and surviving surface deposits further enhance the archaeological character of the piece, while the miniature three-dimensional figure remains clearly recognisable from different angles.
An exceptionally uncommon and evocative example of Roman personal religion and protective belief, combining fertility, motherhood, childbirth and the hope for divine protection in a remarkably small object.
A tiny Roman amulet carrying an intensely human message: the ancient hope for new life, protection and a safe birth.
I prove that the lot was obtained legally , provenance statement seen by Catawiki
Important information. I guarantee that I am entitled to ship this lot.
I will take care that any necessary permits will be arranged.
I will inform the buyer about this if this takes more than a few days.
Details
文化
Ancient Roman, Empire
世紀/年代
circa 1st–3rd century AD
商品名
Ancient Roman Bronze Childbirth & Fertility Amulet Depicting a Woman Giving Birth
取得先
Private collection
取得年
2025
素材
Bronze
取得国
Germany
コンディション
Excellent
前所有者の取得先
Private collection
前所有者 - 取得年
1980
前所有者 - 取得国
Germany
この商品を合法的に取得し、販売する権利があることを保証します
はい'
Authenticity
Original/official
Disclaimer
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
The seller was informed by Catawiki about documentation requirements and guarantees the following: - the object was legally obtained, - the seller has the right to sell and/or export the object, as relevant, - the seller will provide the necessary provenance information and arrange required documentation and permits/licenses, as applicable and as per local laws, - the seller will notify the buyer of any delays in obtaining permits/licenses. By bidding, you acknowledge that import documentation may be required depending on your country of residence and that obtaining permits/licenses may cause delays in the delivery of your object.
