Silver casserole
The artefact is incomplete; it has only the handle and the upper part of the deformed vase. 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 sufficient to establish that it was made of two parts executed separately and then assembled. The handle and the mouth of the vase were made from a single piece of thick silver sheet, cut and rolled to produce the desired shape. The mouth of the vase, which is a continuation of the handle, has a rim that is folded over and rounded by hammering; by the same technical process, two bands were obtained from the rim downwards; then, into the opening thus formed, the upper part of the vase was inserted, which was probably soldered with an alloy of gold, silver and arsenic acid at a temperature not exceeding 400°. We believe the pseudo-Roman silver helmet, found in 1974 as a container for a treasure of denarii, was the missing lower part of this item.
The decoration is placed on the vase itself and on the handle. The one on the vase, simpler, is located just below the welding point and consists of a slightly convex band longitudinally in its median zone, bordered at the top and bottom by an incision.
The decoration of the handle is a bit more complicated. The disc by which it ends is decorated with two concentric beaded circles, formed respectively of 50 and 72 uneven silver beads covered with gold. A soldered ornament in the centre of the circle fell off and was lost. A circular groove, placed between the two hammered beaded circles, completes the decoration of the disc. The rest of the handle, in the shape of a parallelogram with concave sides, is adorned with a median longitudinal thyrsus and, on the edges, rows of gilded silver beads, similar to those on the disc. At their ends, the two lateral rows of pearls terminate in small tongues, also made of silver covered with gold leaf. To create this decoration, the silver beads were made separately, then covered with gold leaf and finally glued onto a thin strip of silver foil that was inserted and soldered into the previously carved-out area in the metal of the handle. The same inlaying technique was used to create the main motif, the thyrsus: first, the silver of the handle was carved out where needed, then the components of the motif (the staff, the ribbons (taeniae), and the pine cones) were inlaid. This well-known Bacchic ornament is rendered here by a 40 mm long line (the staff) with a pine cone at both ends; from the second half of the staff (the half towards the disc), the ribbons extend towards the mouth of the vase; the ribbons (teniae) are knotted, two of them with their ends folding back towards the edges of the handle, while the other two unfold in undulations towards the mouth of the vase, where they each end in three tassels.
The gold coating, the fine incisions made on the relief of the pine cones to better capture their appearance, and the varied sinuosities of the ribbons produce a quite remarkable decorative effect. Moreover, the entire decoration of the handle, despite the damage it has sustained, is of such refinement and balance that it denotes the high mastery of the ancient goldsmith.
Quantity
1
Comment
Inv.no. 4515
Material
Silver
Hoard
