Enamelled bronzes from Roman Britain have turned up all over the Roman world. This poses an interesting question: were Celtic artists making tourist knick knacks for Roman soldiers to take back home? Leading expert Ernst Künzl puts a British ‘souvenir’ into context.
Ancient public opinion regarded Britain as an island of metal. ‘Britain produces gold, silver, and other metals,’ declared Tacitus around AD 100. Philostratus, in the 3rd century AD, specifically referred to enamelled metalwork, reporting that it was a typical product of the people near Oceanus – that is, the north-west coasts of the empire, including the British Isles.
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# Posted by Michelle Moran @ |
Monday, September 08, 2008