|
Date: |
|
Description: | A copper-alloy zoomorphic knife handle of Roman date.The handle is of octagonal section and increases in dimensions towards the attachment end. At the opposite end is a terminal in the form of a stylised zoomorphic (possibly canine or feline) head. The snout is conical, projecting from between two vertical grooves; the mouth is formed of a horizontal groove on the underside of the head; each brow ridge and ear consists of a single moulding. Decorating the neck is a series of punched ring-and-dot marks. The terminal is separated from the rest of the handle by a moulded ring comprising two ridges and a central groove. The handle's main area of decoration is adjacent to this moulding. At each end is a vertical band formed of two grooves and containing punched arcs; between these bands each surface bears a horizontal panel of decoration, alternating between herringbone incisions and punched spirals of dots, with other, larger dots in the surrounding fields. The incised decoration has been picked out with silvering or tinning. At the attachment end is a third vertical band of punched arcs. The attachment plate is much narrower than the rest of the handle. It bears a single groove at its vertical bottom side and there is adhering iron corrosion from the now-missing blade. The handle is slightly damaged and corroded in places. It measures 47.8mm long, 6.2mm wide and 9.1mm high. The weight is 6.76g.Parallels of knife handles with feline heads, from the North-West provinces, are illustrated in Kaufmann-Heinimann's 'Römische Bronzestatuetten aus Augst und Kaiseraugst', similar examples being those from from Mirebeau, Cote-d'Or and Besancon, Doubs (1977: nos. 9 and 11). Comparable handles from Britain include one found in the bed of the Walbrook, London (Manning 1985: 110 and l53, Q3), which was dated to the 1st or 2nd century AD. For a similar example on the PAS database, see SUR-CDD082, from Ashstead, Kent (also published in Britannia 2004: 333, no. 21, fig. 19).
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/r... | Go to resource |
|
More Like this...
-
KNIFE
Cast copper-alloy knife handle dating…
-
KNIFE
An incomplete copper-alloy knife handle…
-
KNIFE
A slightly corroded cast copper-alloy…
-
-
KNIFE
Knife handle terminating in a…
-
KNIFE
Knife handle terminating in a…
-
BROOCH
Copper alloy zoomorphic brooch (or…
-
BROOCH
Copper alloy zoomorphic brooch (or…
-
-
|