Casserole
This pot is incomplete, retaining only the handle and the upper part of the vase, including the mouth which is deformed. The handle is in the shape of a parallelogram with concave sides and a discoid end; the upper part of the vase was circular; the base, which is missing, was probably hemispherical. What remains of the piece is enough to establish that it was made of two parts executed separately and then assembled. The handle and the rim of the vase were made from a single piece of thick silver sheet, cut and rolled to give the desired shape. The rim of the vase, which is in line with the handle, has the edge folded and rounded by hammering.
It is believed that the pseudo-Roman silver helmet, found in 1974 (Muncelu de Sus 1974) as the container of a treasure of denarii, was nothing less than the lower, missing part of this casserole.
The decoration is placed on the vase itself and on the handle. The one for the vase, simpler, is located just below the weld and consists of a band slightly curved longitudinally in its middle zone, bordered at the top and bottom by an incision.
The decoration of the handle is a bit more complicated. The disk with which it ends is adorned with two concentric beaded circles, formed respectively of 50 and 72 uneven pearls of silver covered with gold. In the middle of the central circle, there was still a welded ornament that detached and could not be recovered. A circular groove, placed between the two hammered beaded circles, completes the decoration of the disk. The rest of the handle, in the shape of a parallelogram with concave sides, is adorned with a central longitudinal thyrsus and, on the edges, with rows of golden silver pearls, similar to those on the disc. At their ends, the two rows of side beads are finished with small tongues, also in silver coated with gold leaf.
To create this decoration, the silver beads were made separately, then coated with gold leaf, and finally glued onto a thin strip of silver leaf that was inserted and soldered into the pre-drilled spot in the metal of the handle. The same inlay process was used to create the main motif, the thyme: they started by carving the silver of the handle where necessary, then inlaid the component parts of the motif (the stick, the ribbons (taeniae), and the pine cones). This well-known Bacchic ornament is represented here by a line 40 mm in length (the stick) with a pine cone at each end; from the second half of the stick (the half towards the disc) ribbons extend towards the mouth of the vase; the ribbons (teniae) are tied, two of their ends folding back over the edges of the handle, while the other two unfold in waves towards the mouth of the vase, where each ends with three tassels.
The gold coating, the fine incisions made on the relief of the pine cones to better render their appearance, and the varied sinuosities of the ribbons produce a truly remarkable decorative effect.
Moreover, the entire decoration of the handle, despite the damages it has suffered, exhibits a refinement and balance that denote the high mastery of the ancient goldsmith.
Quantity
1
Start Year
1
End Year
195
Material
Silver
Hoard
