ROMAN VESSEL

43

A cast copper alloy vessel handle in the form of a birds head. The head is similar to a swan or duck, having a long slender beak with low brow and long neck. The eyes are depicted by two incised pointed ovals. The neck is oval in cross-section and is right angled shortly after it left the vessel wall. There is a small tab of metal, perhaps part of the vessel wall, at the broken end.The handle was discovered on the site of a Romano-British temple that has produced numerous miniature shields and spears along with other votive material. Swan-neck handles are not uncommon finds on votive sites, and were probably detached from vessels and used as votives in their own right.