Roman millefiori disc

Roman

The Oxfordshire Museum

3rd-4th Century

This disc is a key piece for the study of Roman millefiori and enamel work. It is one of only three known British examples and is in exceptional condition, retaining all its minutely detailed inlay and original colouring. It may have been a decoration for horse harness or sword equipment and relates to a wider series of enamelled bronze prestige items made in Roman Britain and the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire. It was reportedly found in Oxfordshire but may have originated in Cologne, a Roman glass making centre.

• Medium: copper alloy & glass
• Dimensions: diameter: 4.9cm
• Art Fund Grant: £830 ( Total: £2,260; Export stopped)
• ArtFunded in: 2006
• Vendor: Private vendor

Provenance

Allegedly found in Oxfordshire...Purchased 1985 at an antiques fair, London by a private collector and thence by descent; Bonham's, 2005; private collection.

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