England old unknown find

[cerebus]

Found on a farm field in the colchester area. Have never had a positive ID. Has an interesting circle, line, and maybe leaf design. To me it resembles a bul. There is no design on the back. The back has a hole where it would of attached to something else. It is probably my favourite find for some strange reason lol. Thx for any help

 

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[ironhorse]

kinda makes me think of a hand guard from a small sword or dagger

 

[Bruce R]

Yeah, a crossguard ornament.Taurus ?

 

[cerebus]

Thx for the tips. The Taurus idea is interesting. I always thought it was roman but something always felt a bit wrong.

 

[Batch]

Hello all!

I, too, saw the "bull" at first but what about this...a Fleur-de-lis (although missing a center stalk)?

What draws me this direction is the binding (or band) seen at the tip of your cool find. Since "Roman" has never felt right to you maybe this idea will lead toward an ID.

Good luck!

Respectfully,

Batch

 

[namxat]

Yeah, I thought on the first glance: Roman mount of some sort.

But: Maybe I am wrong, but I see symbols scratched in: a cross in the middle and to the left something that could be runes of some sort. If this would be vikinage with runic inscription I maybe a very significant find.

Greets namxat

 

[cerebus]

There is definitely some crude design. Figuring out if similar to Celtic, roman, saxon, Viking or medieval is probably what would help figure out what it is more than anything.

 

[CRUSADER]

Firstly it is Roman. Its bronze & the 2 finials end in two opposing bird heads. (it may have had a hidden stylised bull, but I not sure it went that way up, as the bird heads would then be up-side-down, although that can happen as well) What I can't determine is its function. My best guess is a bucket mount, but not your everyday type.

 

[CRUSADER]

PS. You can pretty much guarantee that if its Roman & I haven't found one, seen one in a book, or in my research then its going to be very rare.

 

[cerebus]

PS. You can pretty much guarantee that if its Roman & I haven't found one, seen one in a book, or in my research then its going to be very rare.

awesome thx for the info! Any idea where to go from here for more info?

 

[CRUSADER]

awesome thx for the info! Any idea where to go from here for more info?

Not really, because if you don't have the export licence which should have spelt out what they thought it was, you will get yourself in hot water.

Another thought is swan's heads were often used on Roman wagons as fitments, it maybe a wagon/cart/chariot fitment??

 

[cerebus]

I have the export lisence. The guy who filled out my paperwork wasn't impressed with it and called it a medival pot leg mount. Whoever approves the export lisence didn't change the ID. Not sure how hard they scrutinize the export.

 

[CRUSADER]

I have the export lisence. The guy who filled out my paperwork wasn't impressed with it and called it a medival pot leg mount. Whoever approves the export lisence didn't change the ID. Not sure how hard they scrutinize the export.

Well that's great news. Because they got it totally wrong & you have legal ownership. You can email any UK museum & ask the question. However, I will do a little digging for you. PM me the export reference?

 

[Peyton Manning]

dang, some day I gotta buy Crusader a bloody pint

 

[cerebus]

Well that's great news. Because they got it totally wrong & you have legal ownership. You can email any UK museum & ask the question. However, I will do a little digging for you. PM me the export reference?

thanks a lot for the help! Has been killing me not knowing anything about it, but def some progress now.
I'll buy ya a few pints

 

[CRUSADER]

OK, now I know its legal you can send me the reference in slow time, as per your PM.

I knew this was going to be a tough one, & one of my leading Roman experts (advised time-team), book writer etc... has pretty much drawn a blank;


''Thanks for the note and the images . Always difficult to deal with an object with just a couple of images but it looks more Roman than medieval to me with cast or even chip carved decoration? There is a curious 'slot' at the back of the object which looks to have housed another part of the object- so its not all there. How about a lynch pin? The slot could have taken an iron pin whilst the AE part that you have would formed the part that was at the top of the pin and formed the decorative top plate. The object is too big to be some form of purse mounting.
Let me know if you have any further ideas.''


The lynch pin idea is not too far of my thoughts that its some kind of chariot/wagon fitting, so I've thrown out another couple of emails & lets hope we can piece it together. But like I stated, I believe this to be very rare & most likely undocumented, so we may never get the truth of it. Other than I'm 100% sure its Roman period. Both bull's & swan heads are common decorations.

 

[ecmjamsit]

Scabbard Fitting?

I see it as a top to a leather scabbard. The hilt of the sword rested on it. The piece it attached to is missing. Sometimes I have dreams of a past life of where I was a Roman soldier in Britain. I was even compelled to visit Calleva Atrebatum at one time in the 1970's.

 

[HuntinDog]

I know that most are thinking this could be VERY old.
But just for another point of view...
It may be a early clock pendulum part.
The pendulum shaft would have gone through the back where the square slot is and then through the weight.
Or it could have mounted from the bottom up with the disc above it.

Picture included to reference an idea...

 

[against the wind]

dang, some day I gotta buy Crusader a bloody pint

I think this calls for a six pack of pints,, Imported of course

 

[CRUSADER]

Looks like my first 'best guess' (bucket mount, or vessel) might be on track. Here is the latest from another contact;

''I've sent the image to a friend who is a small finds specialist for Wessex Archaeology, she thinks it is a 'Bovine Vessel Mount' defo Roman. Just to confirm she has given me the name of a FLO from Worcestershire who is compiling a corpus on this sort of thing; she has seen the image and thinks yours is unusual.

Just wanted to check that you are ok with me forwarding it to a different FLO? She has asked for more images please.''

Can you add more picture to forward on & are you happy for me to help correct the Archy record, as I thought its a rare one that needs properly recording?