Ave!

Venus, Votive or Talisman, ca. 3rd Cent. AD

Lead alloy; 43mm/5.8gm

Con/ Cleaned not waxed

Seller's Note/

Prospective brides offered Venus a gift "before the wedding"; the nature of the gift, and its timing, are unknown. The wedding ceremony itself, and the state of lawful marriage, belonged to Juno – whose mythology allows her only a single marriage, and no divorce from her habitually errant spouse, Jupiter – but Venus and Juno are also likely "bookends" for the ceremony; Venus prepares the bride for "connubial bliss" and expectations of fertility within lawful marriage. Some Roman sources say that girls who come of age offer their toys to Venus; it is unclear where the offering is made, and others say this gift is to the Lares. Got all that? LOL!

So, was this image of Venus a girls toy? Not likely. A votive offering of some sort or a fertility amulet in a house-hold shire? Most likely but sadly, we will never know for sure.

Ground-found in Roman Pannonia, such lead talismans are very rare and fragile. Despite 1,700 years in the earth, the image of Venus rising from the sea still remains elegantly evocative.

Rare object and rarely presented.