Dress to impress
Highlights from the West Berkshire Museum Collection by Philip Smither, Berkshire finds liaison officer
THROUGHOUT the year members of the public, whether through chance or metal detecting, come to West Berkshire Museum to have objects they have found identified and recorded on the national Portable Antiquities Scheme database (www.finds.org.uk). Sometimes these objects are designated as treasure under the 1996 Treasure Act (www.finds.org.uk/treasure/advice/ summary). They are reported to the British Museum and every so often local museums are given the chance to acquire the objects from the landowner or finder. This article is about three objects of personal adornment recently acquired by West Berkshire Museum.
The first is a gold Roman finger ring which dates to the 1st-3rd century AD and was discovered in Welford. It is a plain circular band with an oval intaglio made of cornelian, a semiprecious gemstone, depicting a bird, most probably an eagle. A ring such as this would have been an important possession to the wearer and would have had a special meaning. The eagle was a symbol of the Roman Empire and of the Roman military.
The person who owned this ring might have been a soldier, a veteran or an important member of Roman society. The eagle was also the bird of the God Jupiter and might have been an important deity to the owner.
The size of this ring is around a UK size M, which is actually the average ring size for a woman. However, rings of this type were typically worn by men. Things like age and genetics play a part in ring sizes and we also don’t know on which finger this might have been worn.
The Medieval silver pendant dates to the 13th-14th centuries and was discovered in Inkpen.
The letters are an abbreviation of the Hebrew saying ‘Ata gibor le’olam Adonai’ (‘You are mighty forever, O Lord’). As you might have noticed, the words should be abbreviated AGLA rather than AGAL as they are on this pendant. This misspelling is not uncommon and occurs on many of these pendants. AGLA was a popular charm used in the Middle Ages to fend off fever and possibly also the Black Death.
The Post-Medieval silver dress hook dates to the 16th century and was discovered in Boxford. It consists of a four-petalled flower and four conical bosses, with a further central conical boss. The surface of the front plate and conical bosses are decorated with gilt. This type of dress hook is often described as ‘quatrefoil’ in design, which means a design of four leaves to resemble a flower. On the back near the top there would have been a bar which was stitched to the dress to hook it together.
I am the current finds liaison officer for Berkshire and record objects on the national Portable Antiquities Scheme database ranging from nearly one million years ago up until the early 20th century and include everyday objects such as buckles and buttons to hoards of coins and objects. The scheme has now recorded just over 1.5 million objects.
I often meet finders at West Berkshire Museum, the Maidenhead Heritage Centre and the Berkshire Record office.
If you have found an object you think is of historical interest, please contact me at philip.smither1@ westberks.gov.uk to arrange an appointment.