A rare knife handle in the shape of a gladiator has been discovered at Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England, shining a new light on the celebrity status of the ancient Roman combatants.

A 2,000-year-old Roman knife handle shaped like a gladiator that was discovered in northern England will go on public display for the first time, the charity English Heritage said on Friday. Two divers found the well-preserved object in 1997 in the River Tyne at Corbridge near Hadrian's Wall,

Remarkably, the figurine is left-handed—a historically notable detail, as left-handedness was considered a bad omen in ancient Rome.