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Description: | Incomplete Roman copper alloy and enamelled seal box of Crummy's type 3 (square), consisting of the (damaged) hinged lid only. It measures 20.80x19.79x(max)6.39mm and weighs 4.73g.The lid is elaborately decorated with both the champlevé and mosaic enamel technique (although much is missing). The lid is divided by copper alloy walls into five equally-sized strips of colour, from top to bottom (with hinge to right), blue, red, blue, (probably) red, blue. The two red strips are missing all but the remains of their enamel, but its striking similarity to one from Colchester (Crummy 1983 p.103 no.2522) suggests they may have been plain. The enamel on the blue strips has survived much better, particularly in the centre strip which contains four mosaic enamel eyes (although much of their detail has been lost). All four have white surrounds and from the traces that survive, centres alternating red and black. Between the two centre eyes the blue enamel between them is a much darker blue than the blue enamel on the rest of the strip. The top strip has blue enamel surviving to the right half only. Two eyes are visible by their loss only. The furthest right now has a browny/ red residue, the next a spot of red beside the dark blue colour mentioned above. Shadows of possibly another three eyes are visible below to the left, with perhaps of trace of red at the last. The bottom strip has blue enamel surviving to the right third only. Two eyes are just visible furthest right and the shadow of at least another two (symmetrical design would suggest another three) to the left. There is also the trace of a now yellowy coloured enamel just left of half-way.Three sides of the lid extend downwards 4mm (max.5.09mm deep with lid) to form the sides of the box, about half a millimetre from the edge. Two of these are very damaged. The third has a central slant-sided cut-out into which the binding chord would have fitted, which would have been mirrored on its opposite. The hinge extends from the centre of the fourth, it is 9.71mm long and circular in section, the copper alloy axis bar still visible at either end.Crummy dates enamelled-type seal boxes to the 2nd or 3rd century, and comments they were likely to have ceased to be manufactured in the late 3rd century (1983 p.103). However she further comments that the comparative Colchester example undoubtedly belongs to the 2nd century floruit of enamelling. No further parallel could be found on this database.Seal boxes are believed to have served to protect the (often impressed) lump of wax which held together the bindings of a packet or writing tablet. They often have highly ornate and enamelled lids.
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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