Ca. 100 AD A Roman bronze balsamarium in the form of a bust of god Mercury, the god of shopkeepers, merchants, and travellers, who is commonly identified with the Greek Hermes, the fleet-footed messenger of the Olympian gods. The god is depicted with downcast eyes and his head turned to his right. His thick hair is arranged in wavy locks and the top of his head features an opening with a hinged lid. Two horn alike protrusions serving as suspension loops emerge from the sides of his head and join an omega-shaped handle. The bust sits atop a columnar plinth. Size: L:165mm / W:79mm ; 470g Provenance: Property of a London Ancient Art Gallery; formerly in the famous Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister; acquired between early 1960s to 1990s.