Object Description
A delicate Roman pendant featuring a quartz intaglio encased in a gold frame. The intaglio is oval in shape and bears a rich orange colouring, the exterior of which has been artistically burnt to emphasise the image. The flat obverse has been carefully engraved with the image of the god Mars, depicted helmeted and striding to the left in a pose known as Gradivus, an epithet of the god meaning ‘he who steps forwards’, representing valour in battle. He holds a spear in his left hand and rests a trophy over his shoulder, and dons a cloth around his waist. The reverse is flat and unadorned. A band of twisted gold frames the intaglio, meeting at one side in a suspension loop. Additional gold features to the edges of the obverse, though some of this has since been lost. A chip features to the base of the stone.
Date: Circa 1st-3rd Century AD