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Description: | A complete cast copper alloy probable mount of Roman date (AD 300 - AD 410). Length: 23.1mm; width: 39.0mm and 16.3mm thick. Weight: 34.62g.The object is in the form of two stylised addorsed (back-to-back) feline heads. The heads may represent those of panthers or leopards. The central part, shared by each animal, is in the form of an elongated neck which is divided by a rib with tooled punch marks. The top of the rib is flattened and it is difficult to determine whether the flattened area is old damage or whether this part was not tooled originally. Each head is similar and have prominent features. One head is turned slightly to the right and the other is turned slightly to the left. The brows are prominent and evolve into swepted-backed ears. Below each ear of the animal around its jaw line is a very slight, moulded ruff with faint diagonally incised lines. The mouths are open as if growling, although the teeth are not defined. The lower jaw, in contrast to the upper jaw, is angular. The base of the object is circular in plan and has a diameter of 16.8mm. The upper part of the base is convex and has tooling around the periphery which is similar to the tooling dividing the heads. However, this tooling is barely visible, perhaps due to wear. The underside is largely flat. At the centre of the underside is the stub of an integral copper alloy spike or rivet.This object is in good condition and has light matt green patina overall. Panthers and leopards were associated with the cult of Baccus and this mount may have been fitted to a casket or some other piece of furniture in the later Roman period when the cult of Bacchus was popular in Britain.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
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