Description:

Roman, Imperial Period, ca. 1st to 3rd century CE. A wonderful set of gaming dice, hand-carved from the bone of a cow or another ungulate. The planar sides of each die display a series of incised concentric circles with numbers ranging from one to six. Dice like these were used frequently as an impartial method of allocating goods as well as settling personal disputes, though they were primarily used for all manners of games. Gaming instruments like dice serve to highlight to universality of gaming across cultures and centuries. Just imagine the ancients tossing them to generate a random combination of numbers! Size (both about the same): 0.4" L x 0.4" W x 0.4" H (1 cm x 1 cm x 1 cm)

Provenance: ex-private St. Louis, Missouri, USA collection; ex-Artemis Gallery, Louisville, Colorado, USA, December 12th, 2019, lot 49b; ex-Byblos Antiques, London, UK, acquired 1992 to 1993

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#179321

  • Condition: Some nicks, stable hairline fissures, and abrasions, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, both are intact and in very good condition with clear markings. Light patina throughout.

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June 1, 2023 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000