This volume is the latest instalment in the Corpus Signorum Imperii Romani (CSIR), a series of reference works dedicated to the sculpture and monumental architecture of the Roman world. The focus of this volume, as stated in the title, is the sculpture and architectural remains from Greater London and the South-East, including Hertfordshire, Surrey and Kent. Compared to some of the other provinces of the Roman Empire, the volume of sculpture and stone monumental architecture produced or surviving in Britain is fairly low, and this trend holds true for the South-Eastern region, with only 229 catalogue entries in the volume (33 of which are aliena, recentiora or falsa). That being said, the authors do an excellent job of highlighting the salient characteristics of the collection and demonstrating their relevance to current research interests in Roman provincial art and archaeology such as Romanisation, the role of the army in the early production of Roman styles of sculpture and monumental architecture, and trade networks in the empire. As the authors assert, the value of the material lies not in its quantity, but rather in its quality.

The catalogue is divided into three sections: Marble; Other Stone; and Bronzes, and then further divided within each section by subject matter (e.g. Greco-Roman deities, Oriental deities) or monument (e.g. funerary, portraiture). The entries are standard for the CSIR series, giving information on provenance, current location, bibliography, condition, measurements, type of sculpture, type of stone, and then providing a brief discussion for each piece. These discussions are interesting and up to date, and the authors do a commendable job of bringing our attention to and increasing our understanding of lesser known pieces, such as the marble torso of an athlete (No. 35, Pl. 28) or mutilated bust of Geta (No. 23, Pls 24–5). In addition to these newly highlighted works, readers will recognise some of the more well-known objects from the region, such as the bronze head of Hadrian (No. 213, Pls 78–9), various sculptures from the Mithraeum in London, and the remains of the London Arch and Screen of the Gods. Two appendices provide information about a recently discovered statue of an eagle devouring a serpent (No. 229, Pl. 84), which was excavated in London in 2013, and Roman coloured stone funerary urns (No. 205, Pl. 75).

Although the volume is essentially a reference work, the introduction (pp. xvi–xxxiii) and the petrological analysis, ‘Types and Sources of Stone’ (pp. xxxiv–xliv), provide good background information for the collection as well as the variety and sources of stone that were used in the region during the Roman period. The introduction briefly discusses topics such as the history of the collections, their reuse, iconoclasm, materials and style, and major monuments. The petrological study, which is the first of its kind in the CSIR series, reveals an interesting chronological development in the quarrying and exploitation of stone for sculpture in south-eastern England. The sculpture and architectural features from this region are made from a greater variety of stone types than any other region of Roman Britain (p. xxii), but not all the stone types were employed at the same time. The authors identify three overlapping chronological stages, characterised by the type, variety and quality of stone used, as well as by spatial distribution and category of use (p. xli). The first stage, dating to the mid to late first century, is characterised by new sculptural types made from a variety of high-quality freestone materials. The skill and resources required to exploit these high-quality materials suggest heavy involvement by the Roman army in the new production (p. xlii). The second stage, in the second and third centuries, is the period of greatest sculptural production and witnesses increased development and centralisation of native quarrying operations in the south Cotswolds, North Downs and Lincolnshire. In addition to this greater exploitation of regional stone sources, evidence from Kent attests to importation of stone from northwest France as well. This information regarding the market and shipment of stone between South-Eastern England and North-Western France will certainly be of interest to those scholars who research trade networks in the Roman Empire. An intriguing decrease in the exploitation of high-quality freestone during this period may be explained by the movement of the legionary army, and their craftsmen, further north. The final stage, dating to the later third and fourth centuries, is characterised by a much reduced production of sculpture and decreased demand for freestone. Given the economic and political climate of this time period, such a reduction is not surprising, but the authors also point to the relocation by Constantius I of artifices to Autun at the end of the third century (p. xliv).

The fascicule is well produced, with thoroughly researched and clearly written catalogue entries. There are good-quality illustrations of the London Arch and the Screen of the Gods, and photographs of most of the pieces in the catalogue, including sixteen plates in colour. Helpful supplementary materials, such as the sections on petrology, as well as glossaries of geological terms and sculptural and architectural terms, enhance the value of the fascicule. Similar to the other volumes in the CSIR series, it will be very useful as a reference work for anyone working in Roman sculpture and architecture, particularly that of the provinces.