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Description: | A cylindrical handle with elaborate terminal from a cast copper-alloy knife or razor of earlier Roman date (probably 1st century AD). Only a short section of the iron blade remains (4.3mm thick). The tang runs all the way through the handle and a small amount projects from the end and is probably flattened to form a stop. The main cylindrical body (L.: 51.7mm, Dia.: c. 13.6mm) is seemingly solid with the exception of a void to accommodate a thin tang from the iron blade. It is decorated with three pairs of incised lines running along its length. The three pairs are set at right angles to each other, two at right angles to the blade and one parallel with the top of it; there is no corresponding pair parallel with the base. In addition the entire cylinder is decorated with punched circles arranged in regular diagonal rows spiralling around the handle. These do not respect the lines, overlapping them where necessary. The terminal is formed of two pieces, firstly a 'baluster' cap 12.7mm long, which sits on the end of the cylinder. The cap curves inwards from the joint with the cylinder to a narrowest diameter of 7.1mm, there is then a small collar and above that a domed terminal with a flat base and convex top 9.8mm in diameter and 5.0mm thick. The second part is a spring formed of sub-square sectioned wire, 2.6mm by 2.1mm. The ends are flattened and rolled and abut the joint between the end cap and the cylindrical section on each side. The rolled ends do not appear to be riveted or otherwise held in position. The central part of the spring curves up over the top of the end cap. The centre is slightly widened and pierced. The end of the iron tang of the knife runs through the end cap and through the central piercing on the spring and is then hammered into a flat stop to hold them in place.This elaborate handle copies a type normally made in ivory. The only difference is in the form of attachment at the end. The projecting tang is normally used to hold the handle together but in the ivory examples the spring runs through a hole in the projecting iron tang putting the force holding it together onto the spring. In this example it is only the slightly flattened end of the projecting tang which holds all the elements together. This relegates the spring to a purely decorative element; perhaps a local imitation of the more widespread ivory version.The ivory examples of this form are categorised by Manning (1985, 108/fig. 28) as type 1d. As Manning notes, type 1 knives have straight relatively narrow blades and are most common in the 1st century AD. Handles of form D are usually made of ivory rather than bone and 'had a wide but relatively thin distribution throughout the Western Empire'. They are also illustrated in a relief showing a cutler's shop on the altar of L. Cornelius Atimetus from Rome, now in the Vatican Museum.This artefact corroded to a variable green colour with off-white accretions. The vestiges of the iron tang and blade have turned the usual dark orange-brown colour, with some staining extending up the handle.
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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