1st-2nd century AD. A bronze pin formed with tapering round-section stem, collar or cuff and hand modelled in the round gripping a spherical object between thumb and forefinger. See The Portable Antiquities Scheme, record id. NARC-D05502, for very similar. 12.1 grams, 10.7cm (4 1/4"). Ex collection of a Surrey, UK, gentleman; acquired on the UK art market; previously on the European art market before 2000. The sphere held in Roman hands such as this have been variously identified as apples, pomegranates and even an egg. Cool (1990, 157) writes that these objects 'probably had some symbolic meaning, either connected with orphic beliefs of life and death as argued by Mr [Paul] Arthur (1977) or as fertility charms or love tokens.'