Roman Shield Necklace

To a Roman soldier, the shield was one of the most important objects he carried.

It protected the body in battle, formed part of coordinated military formations and helped transform groups of individual soldiers into the disciplined fighting force for which Rome became famous.

Yet surviving archaeological examples reveal that Roman shields could also be extraordinarily beautiful.

Wooden surfaces were painted with carefully arranged patterns and symbols, while a prominent central boss protected the soldier's hand behind the shield. What appears from a distance to be purely functional military equipment could therefore also possess a remarkable decorative identity.

One of the rarest surviving examples was discovered at Dura-Europos, the ancient frontier city on the Euphrates. Its preserved painted surface provides an extraordinary glimpse of how visually striking Roman military equipment could once have appeared.

Created exclusively for the British Museum's Legion: life in the Roman army exhibition, the Roman Shield Necklace brings this world into miniature.

Its oval form surrounds an intricate radiating design centred upon a raised boss, transforming the visual language of an ancient Roman shield into something intimate enough to wear.

An object once carried into battle becomes a fragment of Roman history reimagined in gold.

From the shield wall of Rome to a jewel worn today.