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Description: | A near complete, solid cast copper alloy figurine in the form of a goat. The figurine is cast in three dimensions and is of Roman date with a probable association to the god Mercury. The goat is depicted standing and is complete with the exception of the tips of his horns, which are missing due to old breaks. The head rises from one end of the body, is relatively large and prominent in comparison to the remainder of the body, and is tilted forwards slightly giving the impression that the goat is perhaps butting or about to but something. The front of the head is flattened and there are two pointed oval shaped incised eyes. Above the eyes is a pronounced brow from which two small oval shaped ears project horizontally and the two horns that are circular in section project vertically. What survives of the horns suggests they curved backwards. Beneath the eyes is a short rounded muzzle with an incised transverse groove representing the mouth, beneath which is a small projecting collar, perhaps intended to represent the goat's beard.The neck is relatively thick in comparison to the body and head, and leads to a short and thin body. Two pairs of legs are present at front and back of the body. Those at the front comprise a solid single sub-oval shaped projection, the presence of two legs suggested by a small circular incision on the outer surface that does not perforate the legs completely. The hind legs consist of a similar, solid projection, this time triangular in section and with no attempt to demonstrate the presence of two legs. The bases of both legs are flattened and the figurine stands freely. The body of the goat is oval in section with a short triangular shaped tail projecting horizontally from its hind quarters. The body swells slightly around the front legs beneath the muzzle, and also close to the hind quarters. The entire figurine excluding its underside and face is decorated with short incised grooves arranged in varying directions to represent the hair on the goat's coat.The entire figurine measures 33.53mm in length, 32.83mm in surviving height including the horns, 11.27mm in width at the widest point, and weighs 23.14g. Goats, along with rams and cockerels, are the cult animals often associated in the Roman period with the god Mercury. Small copper alloy examples such as this are found as free standing figurines flanking larger depictions of Mercury himself. A good example of this, with Mercury on a pedestal flanked by a ram/goat and cockerel is known from King Harry Lane, Verulamium (Henig, 1984: pp. 57-58, fig. 19). Similar finds of copper alloy goat figurines are noted on the Portable Antiquities database, in particular from Suffolk (SF-832532) and Essex (ESS-D24132). The best parallel for this example, however, appears to be a copper alloy goat in the British Museum (Green, 1976: pl. XX e), which is of similar shape and stands in the same pose.
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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