Romano Celtic Stone Relief of Cocidius with Shield and Spear on Stand

Originates from: England

Era: 1st - 2nd Century AD

Dimensions: 11” H x 7.5” W x 3.5” W 

An inexplicably rare stone relief carving of the Romano Celtic god Cocidius, circa 1st to 2nd century AD. A deity worshipped both by the native Britons as a genius loci, the god of the hunt and of the wild and forests, as well as the Romans who had to come to occupy the area as a representation of their gods Mars and Silvanus. Cocidius’ name may be related to the British Celtic “cocco”, meaning red, with obvious connotations of blood  

Depicted holding a spear and a shield, carved in typical crude form to Brigantes tribe carvings from the north of England, supported by the iron oxidized stone, typical of the area. Of a nice scale, the stone on stand 11” high by 7.5” wide.

Only a small number of these altar carvings to Cocidius have been found throughout England, with a similar carving, lovingly called the Little Man, found along Hadrian’s Wall, a Roman fortification structure in western Northern England. This is truly not only a rare survivor, but also one of only a handful of these carvings ever found.  

Provenance: from an important European collection