The Juliana Bracelet from the Hoxne hoard

Roman Britain, buried in the 5th century AD
Found in Hoxne, Suffolk (1992)

The Hoxne (pronounced 'Hoxon') hoard is the richest find of treasure from Roman Britain. Alongside the approximately 15,000 coins were many other precious objects, buried for safety at a time when Britain was passing out of Roman control.

This finely worked pierced bracelet incorporates the phrase UTERE FELIX DOMINA IULIANE. The lettering, spacing and spelling are idiosyncratic, but the sense is clear, wishing good fortune to 'Lady Juliana', the owner of the object. Good-luck wishes, especially utere felix ('use [this] happily') were quite often inscribed on valuable personal possessions such as jewellery in the late-Roman period.

T.W. Potter, Roman Britain, 2nd edition (London, The British Museum Press, 1997)

C.M. Johns and R. Bland, 'The Hoxne late Roman treasure', Britannia, 25 (1994), pp. 165-73

R. Bland and C.M. Johns, The Hoxne Treasure, an illustr (London, The British Museum Press, 1993)