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Description: | 2010 T49Description: Roman silver strip bracelet with hinged clasp. The main body of the bracelet comprises a wide thick strip of silver, oval in profile and rectangular in section. The top part of the bracelet consists of a separate rectangular plate of metal sheet decorated with a series of deep chased indentations which radiate out from a central ovoid box setting and form loose triangles in each corner of the rectangle. There is further decoration in the form of unevenly spaced punched dots. The box setting is set with an opaque milky orange/brown carnelian, undecorated; the setting appears to have been restored, and there are traces of adhesive on the underside which indicated modern repairs. The stone has been left uncleaned. On the back of the rectangular plate the clasp mechanism has been soldered; this comprises a thick disc of metal over which has been attached a circular plate with side lobes which fit neatly into corresponding recesses in the centre of the main hoop and curve back on themselves to form enclosed loops. This allowed pins to be pushed through the loops creating a hinge on one side and a removable pin on the other so that the rectangular section could be pivoted and the bracelet opened for wearing. One of the side lugs is now broken, with the metal corroded. The pins are composed of copper alloy instead of silver.The decoration on the outer surface of the bracelet's hoop consists of five decorative panels, separated by pairs of moulded 'ribs' which rise slightly proud of the surface. Each of the ribs is decorated with punched dots. The panels on either side of the clasp are decorated with a series of six incised triangles in groups of three which meet at their apices, which in turn create two full and two half diamonds, undecorated. Each of the triangles has been infilled with punched dots, very unevenly spaced. The panels below these on each side are decorated with pairs of confronted peltas formed by double incised parallel lines; ovoid 'leaves' are incised in the centre of each pelta, and more unevenly spaced punched dots infill the curves of each peltate motif. The fifth and final panel is decorated with a crudely incised double circle with punched dots in the space between the circles, which encloses a four-leaved flower motif with ovoid petals. The area between the leaves and the enclosing circle is filled with further unevenly spaced punched dots.Date: 3rd century ADDimensions: Outer diameter (maximum): 61.9mm Inner diameter (maximum): 58.3mm Width of hinged plate: 33.2mm Wt.: 62.8gDiscussion: The bracelet bears strong similarities with a pair of bracelets from Cadeby, South Yorkshire, part of a hoard of four silver bracelets and 112 coins (with a terminus post quem of c. 251 AD) discovered by a metal detector user in October 1981. Two of the bracelets in the Cadeby hoard (DONMG 157 1 & 2) are of snake form, a well known Roman type, comparable with examples in the Snettisham jeweller's hoard (Johns 1997, nos. 312-16). The other pair of Cadeby bracelets (Reg. no. 1983.156A and B) are comparable with 2010 T49, as they too are bands of silver with an ovoid profile, a similar rectangular plate forming a clasp at the top which is similarly set with a plain oval carnelian in a raised box setting. The only minor differences are their smaller size (both having an external diameter of 57.3 mm, thus c. 5 mm less), the fact that they have seven panels on their outer surface instead of five, but with similar decorative triangular motifs, although these are infilled with cross-hatching instead of punched dots. The clasp mechanism on the Cadeby pair are very similar to the item in question, the only difference being that instead of a circular disc with side lugs there is a rectangular strip of metal which serves the same function, i.e. to create a loop for a pin on one side and a hinge on the other. The decoration surrounding the box setting is more elaborate than on this example and more elegant in style, with lotus-flower style motifs formed by chasing.The Cadeby hoard was acquired in its entirety by Doncaster Museum in 1982 through the process of Treasure Trove (P&E file. no. 133).Scientific report (by Susan LaNiece)Non-destructive X-ray fluorescence analysis of the surface of the bracelet indicated a silver content for the band of approximately 85%, the rest being copper, lead and a trace of gold. The setting for the stone is of a different composition, with approximately 90% silver. The hinge pin is of copper alloy.The results were compared with analyses conducted using identical methods on the four bracelets from the Cadeby hoard, and the results are presented in the table below (which provides the data on 2010 T49 for comparison). All analyses were taken on clean surfaces of the metal but not abraded surfaces, which may have produced more accurate results as metal surfaces are inevitably affected by corrosion during burial altering the original composition.Wt/%silver copper zinc lead goldDONMG 157 1 88.8 9.0 0.6 1.0 0.6DONMG 157 2 92.5 5.6 0.3 1.0 0.6DONMG 156 A body 92.1 4.2 1.8 1.5 0.5setting 97.3 2.2 <0.1 <0.1 0.5DONMG156B body 85.8 9.9 2.4 1.4 0.5setting 96.3 1.5 <0.1 1.2 1.02010 T49 body (mean of 3) 85 11.2 <0.1 3.2 0.5setting 89.9 5.5 0.9 1.5 0.6The range of silver fineness for 2010 T49 and the Cadeby bracelets is broadly comparable. It is also comparable with, for example, the silver jewellery from the Snettisham Roman jeweller's hoard (Pike and Cowell 1997). Zinc in the alloy indicates that some brass was added to the mix to substitute for pure copper, presumably reflecting what was available to the silversmith. The only slightly unusual feature is the lead content which for all the bracelets (including 2010 T49) is relatively higher than that reported in the Snettisham jeweller's hoard or in Roman silver plate from Britain (eg Cowell and Hook 2010, 175-183). For all three bracelets with the gem setting, the setting itself is of finer silver than the body of the bracelet.RecommendationsOn balance, stylistic and metallurgical analysis suggest that this bracelet (2010 T49) appears to be another element of the Cadeby hoard and it is recommended that it is considered retrospectively as a component of the Treasure Trove case.ReferencesJohns, C.M. 1997. The Snettisham Roman Jeweller's hoard, London: British Museum PressPike, A. & Cowell, M 1997. 'Analyses in Materials', in Johns 1997, 50-60.Cowell, M. & Hook, D. 2010. 'The analysis of the metal artefacts', in Johns, C.M. The Hoxne late Roman Treasure. Gold jewellery and silver plate, London: British Museum Press, 175-83.Richard HobbsDept. of Prehistory & Europe, The British MuseumSusan La Niece, Dept. of Conservation and Scientific Research, The British Museum4th February 2011
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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