MEDIEVAL LANTERN

1300

Sheet copper alloy lantern-top diameter 47mm, thickness >1mm, weight 3.8g. The artefact is made from a circular sheet of copper alloy. There are four holes 1.7mm in diameter around that outside, these would have been rivet holes that attached the top to the main cylinder of the lantern. A 4mm diameter hole in the centre would have held a suspension loop and a further 7mm ole off centre would have acted as a vent. Decoration on the topside comprises of a thick engraved border with hatching on the inside, an area of which expands into an arm that spirals around the centre hole. A quarter section has been removed in order to fold the piece into a cone shape. The underside is plain. There is a crack along the line of part of the engraving. This artefacts dates to the 14th-15th century.