Circa 100-200 AD A finely modelled Ancient Roman Silver padlock featuring a hinged lid in the shape of a Celtic male figure’s head. A fragmentary hinged chain. Earthy encrustation and some patination covers the surface. Figural padlocks, such as this example, are interesting items of Roman everyday life, displaying the great skills in working bronze of Roman craftsman. Padlocks of this type are believed to have originated from North-East Italy and then spread to other areas such as Britannia and Germania. The moulded bronze male faces used to decorate figural padlocks were usually stereotyped, following the same features such as straight hair, usuallybed straight down and worn in bangs. For more information on this type of lock see the wonderful book: Romano-Celtic Mask Puzzle Padlocks by Jerry Slocum and Dic Sonneveld. The item has undergone X-ray fluorescence analysis to confirm the metallurgical content suggesting its ancient origin and lack of modern trace elements. Size: L:36mm / W:23mm; 44g Provenance: Private London collection; formerly acquired in Europe from 1990s collection.