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Description: | An incomplete cast copper alloy tankard handle dating to the Late Iron Age or early Roman period (300 BC - 200 AD). The fragment consists of the handle and one (of the two) attachment plates. The tankard handle is irregular in plan and profile. The handle of the tankard is a pointed oval (leaf shaped) in plan and broadly D shaped in cross section. The upper edge of the handle tapers to a blunt point. This point turns through 90° to the plane of the handle and is broadly oval in cross section. The end of this point then expands to form a relatively flat oval plate. The original edges of this plate have been lost through a combination of corrosion and abrasion. On the underside of the plate, positioned at the centre and set vertically, a single rectangular plate extends. The edges and the end of this have also been lost through abrasion. Originally the terminal of this reward facing plate would have been pierced, but all evidence for this has been lost. On the lower edge of the oval plate there is a small rearward facing hook, which is also abraded. The opposite end of the handle has an abraded and broken terminal; it is likely that a similar plate would have extended from this. The tankard handle measures 68.2mm length, 19.7mm width, is 21.4mm thick, and weighs 20.56 grams.The tankard handle is relatively plain in form with only one area of cast decoration. This is located on the outer edge of the body of the handle. Here, the central area of the handle has a recessed groove which expands from each terminal forming an elongated lentoid panel. The edges of this panel are further decorated by single incised (V shaped) grooves. There is no other cast or incised decoration present. The handle is a mid green brown colour with a patchy patina. The patina has been lost through both abrasion and corrosion, and only small areas of original surface remain. Two parallels have been discovered for this artefact type, the first was recorded by the PAS from Wooler Northumberland (record number NCL-DD4133) and the second is published in Macgregor, M: Early Celtic Art in Northern Britain 2 vols) Leicester [ vol: Vol 2 ref: 291]. This second example from Okstrow, Orkney, is complete. In the description Macgregor states that: "Originally the lugs would have perforated the tankards wall to be secured internally by pins through the perforations; if this were so the plate extensions would prevent leakage.
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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