MINIATURE OBJECT

An incomplete copper-alloy miniature stand or votive altar of Roman date. Parts of two sides of the object and one corner survive, the remainder now missing due to old breaks. Each of the surviving sides are flat and rectangular in form, set at right angles to one another and with moulded decoration on their exterior faces. On one this comprises two opposing transverse crescents or curved bands separted by a narrow groove, while on the other are the remains of a quatrefoil motif within a sub-circular border. The recessed areas within and surrounding these motifs were presumably for enamel, although only a small possible trace of red enamel within the circular field now survives, the remainder missing due to post-depositional corrosion. At the surviving corner of the object the upper surface is flattened, perhaps with the remains of an inner aperture or openwork area, but its precise form is uncertain due to old breaks. A small single globular knop is present at the top of the complete corner. The entire object measures 16.32mm in height, 19.34mm in length, 14.37mm in width (incomplete), 1.36mm in thickness, and 3.86g in weight.

This is an incomplete miniature object, perhaps a votive altar, of Roman date. It finds close parallels in examples recorded from Suffolk (SF4427, SF4428) as well as published parallels of small enamelled stands from South Shields (Allason-Jones and Miket, 1984: 92-93, nos. 3.1-3.3). These are interpreted as miniature stands or altars that probably stacked on top of one another. They are of Roman date, c.43-410 AD.