Roman Decorated Mount with Inscription, 3rd-4th century A.D. A substantial bronze mount or base fitting for the insertion of the lamp's stand or shaft, discoid with raised hub and hole, stepped profile; median flat band with enigmatic pointillé Greek inscription '????C????????C????????'. Cf. Arce, J., Ensoli, S. & La Rocca, E., Hispania Romana. Da Terra Di Conquista a Provincia dell'Impero, Venezia, 1997, p.363, fig.109. 424 grams, 11.4 cm wide (4 3/8 in.). Acquired in London in 1982. Property of a central London gentleman. This morphology, well attested in Rome, derives from refined Hellenistic models. The inscribed decoration is arranged around the central area; the first word is probably referring to ??????' (sun, sunlight), possibly in connection with the function of the lamp. However, the expression '????? ??????? ?? ?? ??????' could also refer to a Christian martyrdom, considering 'B??=B???' =heavy, in sense of bearing the weight of the nails (?????) and therefore ‘bearing the weight of the nails themselves’ (?? ?????? as contraction of ?? ?????). An alternative translations is to read it '????? ???? ?? ??..' with the meaning of '????? - ?? ?????? - the nails - ???? - ????? - hit ?? ?? - ???? ??? ?????? - through which', i.e. Hit the nails through which [..]. [No Reserve]