Rights Holder: Surrey County Council
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Unique ID: SUR-331582
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Published
A small figurine (23.93mm long), probably of a hound. The animal is lying prone with his head on his forepaws (only one leg is visible). The hair on his back is parted either side of the spine and the tail is also modelled. The eyes are in the form of punched pits. The underside is flat and from its centre projects an integral rivet. This figurine was probably a mount on another metal object, perhaps a lamp.
Martin Henig comments:
I think it is a hound, possibly a Molossian. Arielle P.Kozloff, Animals in Ancient Art from the Leo Mildenberg Collection (Cleveland Museum of Art 1981), pp.196-197 no.184 has rather a fine rendering of a reclining hound in hollow cast bronze said to have been found in Syria. Note ruffled mane. Note also the sleeping hound on a lamp allegedly from Alexandria D.G.Mitten and S.F.Doeringer, Master Bronzes from the Classical World (Mainz 1967) p.298 no.296. D.M.Bailey, A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum IV Lamps of Metal and Stone and Lampstands (British Museum,London 1996) p.63, pls 75 and 185 no Q3778. Heinz Menzel, Die Roemischen Bronzen aud Deutschland. I.Speyer (Mainz 1960),p.21 no.29 Taf.32.described as 'Liegender Hund'.
I suspect this object is from a lamp or some similar object. It is I suppose regarded as a watchdog.
I am very familiar with such sleeping dogs which are common on gems/cameos as Kozloff,Mildenberg nos 185 and 186; M.Henig, The Content Family Collection of Ancient Cameos (Oxford and Houlton,Maine 1990), p.26 no.47 (cameo with Greek legend 'Be wakeful'); M.Henig et al, Classical Gems, Ancient and Modern intaglios and cameos in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge (Cambridge 1994(p.486 no. 1072a (intaglios). The type is also seen on silver minims of the British/Atrebatan ruler Verica cf M,Henig,'Verica's hound', Oxford Journal of Archaeology 7 (1988) pp.253-255.
This is a find of note and has been designated: Potential for inclusion in Britannia
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN
Date from: Circa AD 43
Date to: Circa AD 410
Quantity: 1
Length: 23.93 mm
Weight: 8 g
Date(s) of discovery: Saturday 3rd March 2012
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Other reference: 12-321
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Completeness: Complete
4 Figure: SP6524
Four figure Latitude: 51.91075
Four figure longitude: -1.056479
1:25K map: SP6524
1:10K map: SP62SE
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.
No references cited so far.