MEDIEVAL SPOON

1300

An incomplete copper alloy, inscribed spoon handle, of Late Medieval to Early Post Medieval dating (AD 1300 to AD 1600).The handle is sub rectangular in shape, and flat in profile. The handle narrows in width towards the base. The front of the handle has inscribed decoration. At the top (wider end), a crude engraving of the Virgin Mary holding a child is present. Below this is the inscription: MATER.DEI.MEMANTO.MEI (Mother of God, Remember Me), with the MEI finishing just below the Virgin Mary picture. A groove is present along each side, creating a border for the inscription. The reverse is undecorated. Filemarks are present on the reverse.It measures 75.2 mm in length, 9.4 mm wide at the top, 6.5 mm wide at the base and 2.8 mm thick. It weighs 9.9 g.The spoon handle is a dark grey colour, with an even surface patina. Basic XRF analysis was carried out on the handle at Birmingham Museum Conservation Laboratories which determined that it was a high tin, leaded bronze with some atimony and zinc. No precious metal content was noted.A similar spoon handle has been recorded on the PAS database as BH-E4DAA8. The inscription appears on several other artefacts, all of a Late Medieval to Early Post Medieval dating (AD 1300 to AD 1600). These artefacts include: purse bar SUR-B93AC3 and finger rings LON-596D94 & BH-7ADF24.