Roman Hippocampus Seal Box Lid c.2nd Century AD

Roman Hippocampus Seal Box Lid c.2nd Century AD
41x27mm, 7.87g

Roman bronze enamelled seal box lid decorated with a Hippocampus (mythological creature, like sea horse).

Roman seal boxes comprise an upper and lower half, joined by a hinge; typically the ‘lid’ was decorated with a device and often enamelled, like this example.They functioned as a protective enclosure for a wax seal and would be tied to a package.