ID | 1079 |
---|---|
Images | No image in database |
Grid Ref | SU0877 |
Project type | Metal detector |
County | Wiltshire |
Site | Broad Town |
Site Type | Unknown |
Location Type | Unknown |
Context | Unknown |
Context Quality | 1 |
Object Period | 0 |
Material | Bronze |
Location | Returned to finder |
Ref No | WILT-08DB54 |
M/F | Male |
Form | Figurine |
Type | Deity |
Name | Mercury |
Bearded | No |
Standing/Seated | Standing |
Headgear | Petasos |
Attributes | Yes |
Attribute description | Petasos |
Clothed | No |
Drapery | Yes |
Classical | 1 |
Quality | Stylised |
Photo | Yes |
Illustration | No |
Height | 48.00 |
Length | 0.00 |
References | PAS database. [Link to Bibliography] |
Description | It is rather odd looking with stick-like legs and arms and a narrow head. Sitting horizontally atop the head is an oval hat 8.5x6mm, with two 1.5mm stumps (?wings) sticking out of the top. The head below is U-shaped and 5mm long (4mm wide and 5mm thick). Two crude eyeholes are barely visible either side of a long flat section running the length of the face, and presumably representing the nose. The neck is short and stumpy, being the same width as the head. Two arms extend to either side, one with a very square shoulder, the other with no shoulder at all. An incomplete ring lies to the front of the neck (1.5mm thick and originally c.13mm in diameter) linking into another, thicker ring (2.5-3mm diam thick) slightly sqaushed (13x10mm diameter). This second ring is around the arm with no shoulder. The ring and arm are both quite pitted. The arm is circular in section and 4mm in diameter (22mm long), extending into a 7x7x1mm object at the hand-end. The other arm projects out 8mm before dropping into a very flat (1-2mm thick) and incredibly smooth (especially when compared with other pitted and non-pitted surfaces of the figurine) arm, draped with a cloak. It is 19mm long. A ridge 3mm high flanks the cloak edge (which is otherwise curved) in a straight line, following the vertical line of the body. The body itself is triangular in shape, being 4mm wide at the chest and 9mm wide at the top of the legs. It is decorated with diagonal cross-hatch grooves. It is also slightly thicker at the top of the legs, presumably to take in the bottom on the reverse (6mm wide). There is also a circular 1.5mm long projection, presumably representing the penis. The legs are quite bandy and both broken - one does not survive below the top of the thigh (4mm long) and is 3mm diameter. The other leg is 15mm long and 2.5mm diameter. The reverse of the figurine is mostly flat with a slight bump for the bottom. The reverse of the cloak arm is also abnormally smooth, perhaps through touch? (PAS). Very odd figure. Poor photo so hard to judge it very well |
PAS id | WILT-08DB54 |
© Internet Archaeology/Authors
URL: http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue31/1/figurines.cfm
Last updated: Wed Feb 29 2012