Six Roman Bracelets with Sliding Knot & Twisted Wire Forms

Roman, Imperial period. Six open and adjustable bracelets, two of iron, one of copper, and three of copper alloy, together showing the range of everyday Roman arm ornament. The largest is a hoop made from a single drawn rod. Its ends are wrapped in tight coils around the opposite shank, so the two coils slide along the hoop and let the wearer change its size. Two smaller bracelets are made of plied, twisted wire, and their soft green patina gives the strands the look of braided cord. The other three are open-ended cuffs made from flat or rounded bands. One iron example has finely notched edges along its outer face, and another cuff has tapered terminals. The small diameter of the twisted pieces suggests they were perhaps worn by a child or on the wrist of a slender adult. The sliding-knot bracelet was one of the most practical jewelry designs of the Roman provinces. Each end of a single rod is wound around the opposite shank, so the coils act as moving collars and one hoop can fit wrists of different sizes. The type was widespread from the Rhineland to the Danube and across the eastern provinces during the middle and later Imperial centuries. Twisted-wire and plain cuff bracelets were cheap, and makers produced them in large numbers alongside it. Ornaments like these were worn across Roman society, including by people who could not afford gold or silver. Item # 204926

Estimate:$300

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