Pair of Roman Bone Dice
Pair of Roman Bone Dice
Pair of Roman Bone Dice

Pair of Roman Bone Dice

£ 500.00

A pair of Ancient Roman six-sided dice modelled in bone, known in Latin as tesserae. Each side of the die is incised with the appropriate number of circles, which consist of a large outer ring and a small central circle.

Price is for the pair.

Date: Circa 1st-3rd Century AD
Provenance: Ex. collection of an Essex gentleman.
Condition: Very fine condition, with signs of ageing to the bone. Small chip to the corner of one of the die.

SOLD

SKU: SK-219 Category: Tags: ,

Games involving dice were popular in Ancient Rome and were sometimes acompanied by a board and pieces that required moving with the luck of the roll. Whilst gambling and gaming were only legal pastimes during the festival of Saturnalia in December, plenty of Romans partook in the activity during the year. From travelling soldiers at local taverns, to the wealthy elite and ruling class, the Romans were avid fans of playing dice games.

Weight 8.60 g
Dimensions L 1.3 x W 1.3 x H 1.3 cm
Culture

Region

Material

Reference: For a similar item, Christie’s, 7th October 2010, London, lot number 303.

You may also like…