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Description: | Incomplete cast copper-alloy and inlaid millefiori enamel probable mount of Roman date. The item consists of a cast copper-alloy circular disc with a plain reverse and highly decorated front.The disc is broadly flat in design but the perimeter of the reverse has a shallow rim set at approximately 90 degrees to the face. This rim may have formed part of the attachment fixtures with the rim being pressed into a material such as leather or wood to hold it in place alternatively the item may have functioned as an end-cap with the rim covering the join.The other evidence for an attachment point consists of a single punched circular hole through the centre of the disc which is 3.9mm in diameter. This hole probably carried a rivet or other form of stud possibly with a decorative head to match the enamel detailing on the front of the disc.The front of the disc which has three shallow cells for taking inlaid enamel decoration each cell bounded with raised rims of copper-alloy. The three cells consist of an inner circle, approximately 25mm in diameter (with the punched hole at the centre) and the further two cells are comprised of two concentric outer circles around this inner circle, the first being approximately 34.8mm in diameter and 3.4mm wide and the outer circle being approximately 45mm diameter and 4.2mm wide.The three cells are inlaid with a millefiori design of enamel squares which give it the classic 'chequerboard' design for which millefiori enamel work is known.The outer concentric circle is primarily inlaid with blue enamel with a repeating pattern of white and red squares against this blue background. The pattern consists of a central red square with four outer white squares each one touching the corners of the red square, giving the appearance of a stylized flower. This pattern repeats around the circle with a gap of c.2.2-2.5mm between each set of red and white squares. Part of the enamel infill of this outer ring, approximately one third, has been lost through damage with 21 repetitions of the red and white flower design surviving.The inner concentric circle primarily consists of red enamel which forms the background colour. The circle then has a repeating design which consists of a small 9-square chequerboard of alternating blue and white enamel, each one three squares across by three squares wide. The five squares forming the diagonals are white and the remaining four squares, inbetween, are blue. These mini-chequerboards are located approximately 2.6-3mm apart and there are a total of 21 repetitions with this ring being complete.The majority of the enamel inlay design of the central circle of the disc has been lost through damage and wear. From the traces which have survived it is clear that it was also red, white and blue in design and comprised of small squares of millefiori enamel with the possible addition of some black outlining of the chequerboard designs.The exact use of this object is uncertain and although it probably served as some form of mount it is not possible to be certain whether this formed part of harness gear, other decorative leatherwork or another category of object entirely perhaps furniture. Items with similar millefiori design include finger rings, studs, miscellaneous fittings, brooches, harness gear and parts of buckle sets. Items similar to this example already recorded with PAS include NMS-40A082, NCL-A38DF3 & WAW-D50D57.This artefact has been dated in line with the typical dating for millefiori objects as c. AD 100-300.
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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