Before the Roman conquest, the wealth of the British nobility consisted of portable things like horses and hunting dogs, richly decorated weapons and jewellery. When the Romans established towns they created new opportunities for the display of wealth. For example, walls of public and private buildings could be decorated with fresco paintings (painted directly onto the wet plaster), and floors covered with patterned or pictorial mosaics or plain stone, tiles or concrete. Subjects ranged from geometric patterns to mythological scenes (rich Romans liked to show that they were familiar with classical culture). At first, most of this expensive decoration would have been done by foreign craftsmen. By the 4th century AD such work is found all over the province which means that British craftsmen must have developed their own workshops.

The Romano-Britons also displayed their wealth in the way they furnished their homes and the hospitality they provided. In the wealthiest homes, rooms could be filled with elegant furniture and bronze and marble statues. Dinner parties were an opportunity to show off highly-crafted tableware of silver, bronze and pewter plate. Both men and women could wear their best jewellery as they reclined on couches decorated with intricate metalwork, drinking imported wine and eating delicacies like peacocks and quails’ eggs.