THE Roman heritage of Cirencester – the home of antiques auctioneer Moore Allen & Innocent – will be celebrated by the sale of a jug and candle from the period.

During the Roman occupation of Britain, Cirencester – or Corinium – was the administrative capita of Britannia.

The town stood at the junction of three important Roman roads – Fosse Way, Akeman Street, and Ermin Street – and its Forum was an important trading place for stonemasons, glass makers, blacksmiths and goldsmiths.

So there's always some excitement when Roman artefacts are offered for sale, and the stoneware jug – which would have been used for serving oil or wine – and a candle, which would have been filled with animal fat or oil to provide fuel for the wick – are no exception.

A bid of between £100 and £150 should secure the lots, which are the oldest artefacts going under the hammer at the firm's April 27 action.

Around 1,400 years younger – but still pretty old – is a zoomorphic jug in the form of a dog, crafted by indigenous craftsmen of Western Mexico years before Columbus landed on the continent.

The hand-painted earthenware jug is expected to command bids of £200 to £300.

Jumping forward 500 years, a ginger jar by the British ceramicist Bernard Moore (1850 to 1935) is offered for sale.

Moore was the first potter to perfect the flambé glazing process, which gives pottery a bright red sheen.

Flambé ceramics are highly collectable – generally speaking a flambé piece is worth more than an identical piece with a different glaze. Bids of around £200 to £300 are expected.

And staying in the glass and ceramics section, a large collection of glass ornaments and paperweights from the Victorian era and later bring a splash of colour to the auction.

Among the collection are dozens of pieces of red cranberry glass, Bristol blue glass, and Fenton vaseline glass in both yellow and the rarer pale blue.

Vaseline glass contains a small amount of uranium, and while the pigments produce a yellow – hence vaseline – or blue colour, under ultraviolet light the glass will glow bright green.

The yellow collection carries an estimate of £40 to £60, while the pale blue is expected to achieve £50 to £80.

But the highlight of the glass section is an Art Nouveau cameo glass vase by Arsall. Decorated with foliage and berries, the vase is expected to achieve £100 to £150.

For a full auction catalogue, visit mooreallen.co.uk