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Description: | An incomplete cast copper-alloy and enamelled patera of Roman date. Only the terminal end of the handle survives intact, the remainder of the object now missing due to old breaks. The handle is flat, trapezoidal in plan and tapers towards old breaks at the vessel end. The front face is covered with enamelled decoration that is separated into two distinct trapezoidal fields by a transverse band; one larger and complete field extending over much of the surviving fragment and to the outer end of the handle, the other just visible before the old breaks. Around the edge of the handle is a relatively broad border with multiple diagonal notches or grooves on its inner edge.The larger panel has symmetrical relief decoration comprising swash or s-shaped motifs with pointed oval shaped terminals extending into each of the corners, from which the decoration spirals towards the middle of the plate before extending outwards to form a central oval shaped recessed field. The larger terminals at the handle end are separated by a single raised pellet with single semi-circular lobes extending from each side border beneath them. Each of the larger terminals has an internal recessed field of red enamel that spirals from the centre of the terminal tracing the outline of the relief decoration. At the central field these internal fields spiral inwards creating circular/spiral shaped motifs and giving the central field a peltaic or shield-shaped appearance. Additionally, at the centre of the field there is a raised spear-shaped motif. The two smaller terminals at the vessel end of the panel also have internal recessed fields that spiral around and towards the second panel of decoration, the relief decoration here joining the borders of the panel. These internal spirals/fields join the central panel at its base creating a triangular motif at the base of the panel. The recessed areas surrounding the relief decoration, within the central panel and the spirals of the lower terminals contain the remains of corroded blue enamel.The second, smaller panel of decoration is mostly incomplete due to old breaks. It is separated from the larger panel by a transverse band, from the centre of which extends relief decoration of uncertain form, possibly foliate in nature or with similar decoration to the larger panel. This is similarly surrounded by recessed fields of blue enamel. The back face of the object is flat and undecorated but has a green/brown patina. The entire object measures 53.21mm in length, 29.04mm in maximum width (15.51mm in width at the break), 2.85mm in maximum thickness, and weighs 15.37g.This is an incomplete handle fragment from a vessel of Roman date, probably a patera. A similar handle with enamelled decoration depicting a hare and hound motif was excavated in Scole, Norfolk and dated to the mid-2nd to mid-3rd centuries AD (Rogerson, 1977: pp. 140-142, no. 61). Undecorated examples of Roman patera handles have been recorded from Suffolk through the PAS (e.g. SF-3C6B04 and NMS-7F1BE6) although none with similarly elaborate enamelling. A panel from a Roman enamelled vase with near identical decorative elements was also recorded from Suffolk (SF10415) and offers a potentially differing interpretation of the object, although the current example appears to lack the flanges and rivet holes visible on the vase panel. It is probable that the current example dates to between the late-1st and 3rd centuries AD, c.43-250 AD.
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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