Mid 4th century AD. A large untranslated wooden tabula with rectangular recess to one face; the tablet was part of a copy (latin: exemplum) of a will; on the recessed inner face of the tablet 32 ink-written lines; water damaged in the lower right corner; the text consists of lists of fields of various farms (fundi), of furniture, and of clothes; mentioned are e.g. dalmaticae, amply sleeved tunics, which had become typical attire for upper-class women in late antiquity, which are given to the daughter Fortunata; legal formulas are extensively used in the text; pierced to accept binding strips. For examples of wooden tabulae re-used as a writing surfaces, see Thomas, J. D., Vindolanda: The Latin Writing Tablets, Britannia Monograph Series No 4, London, 1983; for examples of testamentary documents on wooden tablets that have survived, see FIRA III, p.47 for Anthony Silvanus from 142 AD and see BGU VII 1695 for Safinnius Herminus; for another from Transfynydd, North Wales, see Arch. Camb. 150, pp.143-156. Rothenhoefer, P., Neue römische Rechtsdokumente aus dem Byzacena-Archiv / New Roman Legal Documents from the Byzacena Archive, (forthcoming"). 155 grams, 25.5 x 21cm (10 x 8 1/4"). Ex Monsieur Alain Sfez collection, Belgium; acquired by gift from his father Albert Sfez, 1965; acquired by Albert in the early 1950s; accompanied by five old black and white photographs of the piece; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10453-164915. The contract follows standard Roman legal formulae.