Roman bulla

8 Pins
·
13y
By
Sally Pointer & Gareth Riseborough
an ancient gold coin with a man's head in the center, on a gray background
Gold Bulla - JHU Archaeological Museum
Bullae were pendants worn by boys to ward off evil spirits and proclaim their status as freeborn children. The Romans adopted the practice of wearing bullae from the Etruscans. Both cultures saw children as especially vulnerable and in need of protection. The gold bulla in the JHUAM may be either Etruscan or Roman in origin. Whether Roman girls wore bullae is still unclear. Bullae were also worn by Roman magistrates and victorious Roman generals (triumphatores).
a close up of a statue of a person with a bird on it's shoulder
Detail of a child's tomb monument showing an ancient Roman boy wearing a bulla, the amulet thought to protect a freeborn boy from malevolent supernatural influences and marked him as sexually unavailable
a metal object with a cord attached to it on a white surface, in the shape of an egg
modern replica
an old fashion perfume bottle with a man standing next to it, vintage line drawing or engraving
roman boy wearing bulla
an old gold pendant with a small round object on it's side and a ring around the neck
Candida Martinelli's Italophile Site(Vesuvius and Pompeii)
gold bulla from the house of the menander Pompeii
a gold vase sitting on top of a black background
Roman Clothing Sources
Rome, Palazzo Massimo, 1st century CE
an old gold plated metal object with rope around it's neck, on a blue background
Roman Clothing Sources
Replica of boy's gold bulla
two pieces of green pottery sitting next to each other
Kornbluth Pendants through 5th c.
Roman bullae, bronze, from Rome