Late 2nd-early 3rd century AD. A complete bronze female type sports mask of Robinson's Type E and of Mater Castrorum type, composed of two parts: the face mask with female features, the lips slightly parted, nose with ventilation holes, openwork eyes with delicately pierced rings forming the irises, hatched detailing to eyelashes and eyebrows, the falling wavy hairstyle that of a Roman Matrona, adorned with diadems, garlands and other jewellery, the hair divided into two sections, the first section framing the face and the second section worn as a wig over the other, attachment holes to the lower edge; the back part of the mask covered with curly hair, a small bun at the nape of the neck, the short neck guard with holes for fastening the lining, a fastening rivet to the top of the skull flanked by two small horns. See Robinson, R., The Armour of Imperial Rome, New York, 1975; Garbsch, J., Römische Paraderustüngen, München, 1979; D'Amato, R. and Negin, A., Decorated Roman Armour, London, 2017.890 grams total, 26-28cm (10 1/4 - 11"). From an important East Anglian collection of arms and armour; acquired from a Dutch private collection in the 1990s; previously in a Swiss family collection since before 1980; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no. 10301-168686. As explained by Prof. A. Negin, female masks were the result of the ceremonial aspect of life in the Roman imperial army and were a cultural phenomenon. Consequently, it is rather difficult to interpret the purpose of each specific mask; however, in general, it is possible to discuss their basic functions associated with various ceremonial practices. Our mask, which finds assonance with a face-mask helmet of the same period from a private collection in Plymouth, Providence Academy, or with the three-part Pfrondorf helmet (D’Amato-Negin, 2017, figs.170, 262), could have been either of the well known types of female mask helmets in the Roman army, either a stylised representation of the Gorgon Medusa, or most probably representing the ‘Mother of the Camp’ (Mater Castrorum"). [2] [A video of this lot is available to view on TimeLine Auctions website.]