In the ancient world, the theater played an important role in daily life. Every city of note from Spain to Arabia had its Odeon and its amphitheater, where the comedies and dramas of the great masters were performed to entertain and enlighten the audience. Much of the art of the classical age reflects this love of the theater: the actor terracotta of Alexandria, for instance, or the stage-like frescoes found in Pompeii. This exquisite gold bracelet, decorated with mask motifs, may once have adorned the wrist of an actor, or perhaps simply a person who loved the drama. It evokes the truth of Shakespeare’s lovely lines, written centuries later: all the world's a stage.