dice (unlikely); bead | British Museum

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dice(unlikely); bead

Object Type: dice (unlikely); bead
Museum number: 1886,0401.1718
Description: Rock crystal fourteen-sided bead in the form of a pentagondodekahedra dice. A hole is pierced through two of the larger faces.
Cultures/periods
Production date: 1stC-2ndC
Production place: Made in: Egypt
Excavator/field collector
Findspot: Excavated/Findspot: Naukratis
Materials: rock crystal (?); glass (?)
Dimensions: Diameter: 0.60 centimetres (hole); Length: 2.50 centimetres; Weight: 35 grammes; Width: 2.70 centimetres
Curator's comments: Common Roman period 'truncated cubic bead' often in glass, copying a cut gem of rock crystal or a pentagondodekahedra dice (Xia 2014, 140, 154, 169, PL.III, GN77). This example is pierced, without markings on the facets that would be expected with a pentagondodekahedra dice.
Bibliographic references: Gem / Catalogue of Engraved Gems & Cameos, Greek, Etruscan & Roman in the British Museum (3995); Villing et al 2013-2015 / Naukratis: Greeks in Egypt (TH.01)
Location: Not on display
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1886
Department: Greek and Roman
Registration number: 1886,0401.1718