SUPERB ROMAN IRON PUGIO WITH DECORATED BRONZE SCABBARD Ca. AD 1 - 300. An iron pugio with a broad, tapering blade, straight guard, and a hilt composed of a cylindrical insert bound by median and terminal collars. A flat pommel is surmounted by three biconical protrusions arranged in a row. The scabbard is of sheet bronze, decorated on the obverse with panels of incised vertical lines within finely chased borders, flanked by a pair of broad lateral brackets. The chape is rounded and embellished with a central domed boss encircled by applied pellets. For similar see: Christie's, Live Auction 22771, Arms and Armour from the Mougins Museum of Classical Art, Part 2, Lot 45. Size: 355mm x 80mm; Weight: 420g Provenance: Property of a London Ancient Art Gallery; formerly in the famous Alison Barker collection, a retired London barrister; acquired between the early 1960s to 1990s. This piece is accompanied by a historical report from Alessandro Neri, an international Cultural Heritage expert based in Florence, Italy. This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter.