A tightly rolled bolt of cloth hung from a peg - market merchant's stock, or laundry waiting to be folded. Period: Roman antiquity, 1st c. BCE - 3rd c. CE.
Roman cloth merchants displayed bolts as hanging rolls so customers could see the weave and length without unrolling everything. The same form turns up in households where folded cloth was rolled tight and hung on the wall to keep it off the floor. This piece sculpts a single dense roll with a thin loop at one end.
Painting tips
- Cloth: choose a base color, add a slightly darker wash in the spiral.
- Highlight the outer edge of the roll with a lighter band.
- Loop: matching tone, slightly worn.
Historical sources & further reading
- Pompeii fullonica reliefs
- Sebesta & Bonfante, World of Roman Costume
⚠ Small parts. Not suitable for children under 14.





