VESSEL

A complete copper-alloy right-angled drop handle from a vessel, of Medieval dating circa AD 1270 -1350.

The handle is complete consisting of a hexagonal shaped shaft in cross section. Extending from either end of the shaft at a right angle are two vertical arms which terminate with animal, possible dog headed terminals. The arms are also hexagonal in cross section.

There are acorn knops placed at the top corners of the shaft where they join the arms. At the centre of the horizontal shaft is a rounded swelling. This swelling is defined by a circumferential collar at each side. At the base of the arms is a projection at a 90 degree angle terminating with a crude animal head, defined by grooves on each side and with an upturned snout. The terminals have a rivet through the centre of the mouth. The animal terminals extend at a length of 32.4 mm and 33.5 mm. A freely movable attachment loop with projecting shoulders is located in the space before the zoomorphic terminal. On the other extending arm a repair has been made by placing a thin sheet of copper alloy around the shaft. Interestingly a handle is illustrated by Egan (1998) page 175, ref: 487) with a similar repair. This was found in archaeological excavations at Victoria Street ("Baynard Castle Dock") in London. This example has been dated to AD 1270 - 1350. A similar handle is recorded from a shallow sheet bowl from a hoard of 14^th - 16^th century metalwork found in Wales; such handles are thought to be used on a range of objects. Several similar handles have been recorded on the PAS database, including: IOW-61F305; KENT-C7C015; DENO-478758; and WMID-2A2DB5 discovered in Staffordshire. The handle is a mid to dark green colour, with an even smooth surface patina.

The handle measures 134.1 mm in length, 52.9 mm wide across the extending arms and 8.6 mm thick at the swelling on the horizontal shaft. It weighs 82 grams.