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15.10.2021

Ciborium

Cultural Background/Time Period: Carolingian (9th Century)

Excavation Location/Discovery Site: Europe, specifically in the British Isles, England, Lancashire, Halton Moor

Description: This remarkable artifact is a silver-gilt cup (or bowl) adorned with intricate ornamentation. The design features embossed medallions, each of which contains the depiction of an animal figure separated by conventional foliate patterns. These medallions are bordered by bands with wavy patterns.

Within these ornamental medallions, four of them showcase the figure of a lion, with the lion depicted in the act of passing to the right, mouth open, and a forked tail raised upward. The lion is shown crossing over a stylized plant, and foliage is depicted both above and below the animal, covering its chest and positioned under its tail. Alternating with these, two additional medallions represent the figure of a bull with a humpback and a forked tail. This bull is depicted leaning against a piece of stylized foliage set against a wavy background.

Four gaps in the ornamentation are filled with a formal plant design, featuring rayed branches from which four dog-like heads emerge, biting the foliage. The design of each plant is identical to its opposite counterpart but slightly different from those closest to it.

Around the lip of the cup and below, there are bands adorned with common leaf curls, and these bands also feature transverse collars, adding to the overall decorative richness of the piece. The cup's background and interior are gilded, with traces of gilding also present on the ornamentation.

It's worth noting that one side of the rim and the upper part of the body are missing, and the cup shows some signs of wear and fraying at the bottom. Unfortunately, both the foot and the lid of the cup are missing, leaving this artifact as a testament to the skilled craftsmanship and artistic sophistication of the Carolingian period in the 9th century.

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