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DENO-C11F65: Roman cosmetic grinder base.

Rights Holder: Derby Museums Trust
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Rights Holder: Derby Museums Trust
CC License:
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Rights Holder: Derby Museums Trust
CC License:
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Rights Holder: Derby Museums Trust
CC License:
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COSMETIC MORTAR

Unique ID: DENO-C11F65

Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow status: Awaiting validation Find awaiting validation

Roman cast copper alloy cosmetic grinder, mortar only. The crescent shaped bow concave, U-shaped in section, and tapers towards each end. The ends are bulbous - probaby representing phalluses (see link with fertility below). Unusually this does not have a suspension loop, but it does have a longitudinal four lobed handle on the base. The sides of the bow are slightly damaged. Length 54.14mm, width (across middle) 8.8mm, width across ends c.4.5mm, width of handle 3.86mm, length of handle 28.28mm, thickness (overall, including handle) c.15mm, thickness (ie. length top to bottom) of handle c.9mm, max depth of groove c.4.5mm, weight 7.61g.

Notes:

Cosmetic grinders were used for preparing very small quantities of powdered substance, probably eye shadow or other cosmetics. An association with fertility is indicated by their crescentic shape, and apparently phallic terminals. The earliest examples date to the Iron Age, but the majority were made and used when Britain was a province of Rome. See Ralph Jackson 1985 'Cosmetic Sets from the late Iron Age and Roman Britain' Britannia Vol 16, pp165-192 for more information.

Find of note status

This has been noted as an interesting find by the recorder.

Subsequent actions

Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder

Chronology

Broad period: IRON AGE
Subperiod from: Late
Period from: IRON AGE
Period to: ROMAN
Ascribed Culture:
Date from: Circa AD 1
Date to: AD 410

Dimensions and weight

Quantity: 1
Length: 54.14 mm
Width: 8.8 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight: 7.61 g

Personal details

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Other reference numbers

Other reference: Derby Museum entry no. 4355

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast

Spatial metadata

Region: East Midlands (European Region)
County or Unitary authority: Derbyshire (County)
District: Amber Valley (District)
To be known as: Mackworth

Spatial coordinates


Grid reference source: From a paper map
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

References cited

Author Publication Year Title Publication Place Publisher Pages Reference
Jackson, R. 1985 Cosmetic sets from late Iron Age and Roman Britain London Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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Timeline of associated dates

Audit data

Recording Institution: DENO
Created: 19 years ago
Updated: 13 years ago

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