後羅馬時期／前拜占庭時期 鉛 Lead Pondus – Christian Crux – 重新用作祈祷吊坠 (沒有保留價)

A piece of the past, made to be worn

Late Roman–Early Byzantine Lead Pondus – Christian Crux – Reused as a Devotional Pendant

Object Type: Ponderal Weight, Reused as Pendant
Culture: Late Roman / Early Byzantine
Period: Late Antiquity, c. 5th–6th Century AD
Material: Lead (Plumbum)
Technique: Cast, Relief Decoration
Decoration: Christian Cross (Crux)
Original Function: Weight (Pondus)

-Cultural and Iconographic Assessment Certificate: available upon request before shipment (PDF format)
-All shipments are sent fully insured
-During photography, a warm-toned lighting setup reminiscent of museum display illumination was used to emphasize the object's surface details and historic character in a natural manner.
-The suspension cords, connecting rings, and other display accessories shown in the photographs are used solely for presentation purposes and are not part of the object.

Dimensions:
H: 24.06 mm ±
W:17.06 mm ±
Weight: 4.73 g ±

Description
This lead object belongs to the Late Roman–Early Byzantine tradition of small ponderal weights, in which functional objects associated with measurement and exchange increasingly incorporated Christian imagery. The obverse is dominated by a prominent Latin cross (crux), executed in relief and arranged along the central axis of the object.

Comparable weights from the Late Antique and Early Byzantine world frequently bear the crux as their principal Christian emblem. Such objects belonged to the practical sphere of pondus, libra and mensura—weight, balance and regulated measurement—while Christian signs simultaneously introduced a religious dimension to otherwise functional objects.

The use of lead (plumbum) is particularly appropriate within the ponderal tradition. Its density and ease of casting made lead suitable for the manufacture of compact weights and related utilitarian objects. The irregular outline and substantial surface deposits preserved here further contribute to the object's characteristic archaeological appearance.

The perforation near the upper edge represents a secondary phase of use, transforming the earlier pondus into a wearable Christian pendant. In this new context, the centrally positioned crux became the dominant element of the object, giving an originally functional weight a devotional character as a personal signum fidei.

The reverse remains undecorated, while the obverse preserves the raised cross together with extensive age-related wear, deposits and surface irregularities. The combination of its original ponderal function and subsequent devotional reuse provides an instructive example of the extended biography of objects during Late Antiquity.

Information
The offered object was acquired in 2026 through an auction associated with A.N. Auction House in Germany and was transferred to us in 2026 by its previous owner, N.A., based in the Netherlands

The object has been documented using high-resolution equipment; no intervention has been made to its form or structural integrity, and only limited color-balance adjustment has been applied.

Upon request, museum-standard technical photographs may be provided during the auction; if requested prior to shipment, an expert report and a signed ownership document issued in the buyer’s name can be supplied in PDF format within 3–5 business days

Statements regarding dating, function, symbolic interpretation, and material identification represent high-probability academic assessments based on typological comparisons, parallels in museum collections, and expert opinion; definitive conclusions require advanced laboratory analysis and fall outside the scope of the platform’s sales process.

Prospective buyers are advised to evaluate the images in conjunction with the stated measurements, as high-resolution photography may influence perceived scale. Throughout the presentation and sales process, principles of scholarly consistency, transparency, and good faith are observed, and no object is knowingly offered as a copy or imitation.