A ROMAN BRONZE AND ENAMEL WRITING SET

CIRCA LATE 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.

细节

A ROMAN BRONZE AND ENAMEL WRITING SET
CIRCA LATE 2ND-3RD CENTURY A.D.
The trapezoidal case in two parts fitted together by tenons, their exterior surfaces ornamented with red, light green and blue enamel inlays, the front with columns of half-moons framed by columns of triangles terminating in pelta shields, a row of triangles below, the upper portion with a cut-out rectangle framed by columns of half-moons; the back with a column of scrolling ivy framed by columns of triangles, a quatrefoil above, a small cylindrical ink well joined to the upper end of the front, its body inlaid with four rows of checkered squares and triangles, the upper surface with radiating triangles, centered by a hinged circular lid with a knob finial; the interior of the front slotted to accommodate four styli, one in bone and two in bronze preserved, each with one end pointed, the other flattened for erasure
7 1/16 in. (17.9 cm.) long (2)

来源

European Private Collection, 1980.

拍品专文

During the Roman Period, wooden tablets (tabulae) were used for writing. Their surfaces were covered with dyed wax and then marked with the pointed tips of styli. According to Allen (p. 155 in Kleiner and Matheson, eds., I, Claudia, Women in Ancient Rome), "wealthier writers might write with ink on papyrus, a method more expensive than the wax tablets."
The use of decorative enamel on small bronze objects was popular beginning in the 1st century A.D. and reached its height in the 2nd century continuing into the 3rd. The enamel process began by melting glass with metallic oxides for coloring. Once cooled, the mixture was ground to form frit. The frit was then combined with water, applied to the area to be decorated, and heated until it melted and fused to the surface. The technique was limited to small pieces because of the difficulty of firing large objects, as the temperature of the furnace needed to be strictly controlled to achieve the desired effects. For a similarly inlaid ivy pattern see the skillet handle from Kirkby Lathorpe, England, no. 48, p. 47 in Strong and Brown, eds., Roman Crafts.