Hellenistic or Roman stone astralagus collection

R4

£700.00

Available

A collection of eleven carved stone gaming counters in the form of knuckle-bones, also known as an astragali. One astragalus is carved in black steatite, the remainder are carved in grey-green steatite or serpentine. The uniform size, carved detail and patina suggest that they formed part of a set or were made in the same workshop.

It is thought that these counters were used both in board games and as tools for divination.

Culture
Hellenistic or Roman, 1st Century BC to 2nd Century AD

Size
Averagely 1.4 x 0.9 cms

Condition
Intact apart from a few very minor chips

Provenance
Ex. collection: Robert de Wilde, Paris, France. Collection published: Poids, balances et pions des civilisations anciennes; R. de Wilde, 2017; Editions Saer Al Mashrek. Please note that we have been unable to source a copy of this book so we are not currently able to provide a copy of any relevant pages.

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