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1884.78.1

Cast of bronze torque

On display

1884.78.1

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Collection type
Object
Description
Cast of bronze torque
Long description
Plaster cast of a bronze torque with twisted decoration and hook terminals. Replica of a torque found in a Middle Bronze Age hoard at West Buckland. [CC [Excav. PR] 10/09/2013]
Geographical reference
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Europe > Northern Europe > United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
[England Somerset Taunton Deane West Buckland Bronze Age hoard]
Date / Period
Archaeological period: Middle Bronze Age
Date collected
By 1880 May 13
Acquisition information
Donated: 1884
Materials and processes
Material Bronze Metal, Material Plaster, Process Cast, Process Painted, Process Twisted
Dimensions
Depth: max 220 mm, Weight 107 g
Object numbers
Accession number: 1884.78.1 PR no.: 1/ 10884
Research and responses

The object of which this is a cast was exhibited by W.A. Sanford at the Royal Archaeological Institute in November 1879 (Sanford 1880) and was listed by John Evans in 1881 (Ancient Bronze Implements...) as being in the possession of Sanford (Taylor 1982: 13). [Dan Hicks 02/07/2013]

The original torc [of which this is a copy] was found in the civil parish of West Buckland [ST 161 225] in the district of Taunton Deane. The torc formed part of a Bronze Age hoard of four objects discovered whilst digging a drain. The hoard is recorded on the English Heritage maintained National Monuments Record under monument no. 189298. According to the NMR record the original objects whereabouts of the hoard [formerly in the W.A. Sandford collection] is unknown "but a set of plaster casts were made circa 1884 and are in the Pitt-River Museum, Oxford". The NMR record can be accessed online at http://pastscape.org.uk/hob.aspx?hob_id=189298 [accessed 31/10/2016] [SM (Verve) 31/10/2016]

Between 2005 - 2007 a survey of metalwork in the PRM was undertaken by Gali Beiner, a conservator in the Museum. As part of this study 77 objects were analysed using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) providing a qualitative non destructive analysis of the alloy composition. This object was one of those analysed, the results showed the presence of Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Fe. A copy of the analysis and report is held in conservation [GB 23/8/2007; MN 27/10/2009]

Associated publications
This object was published in Taylor, R.J. 1982. The Hoard from West Buckland, Somerset. The Antiquaries Journal 62: 13-17. [Dan Hicks 02/07/2013] Sanford, W.A. 1880. Antiquities and works of art exhibited. Archaeological Journal 37: 107. [Dan Hicks 02/07/2013] Ready family were family of restorers who worked at the British Museum in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, they also sold objects and repaired objects for private collectors like Pitt Rivers [AP 10/05/2010] Related Documents File - 'The hoard from West Buckland Somerset' Robin J Taylor The Antiquaries Journal 1982 vol LXII part I, with photograph of object. A letter from Dr J W Hayes Royal Ontario Museum dated 20 Nov 1986: The ROM object number is 922.37.3. The ROM acquired the object 'from an unidentified member of the peerage in Oct/Nov 1922 along with some other items all supposedly Sussex finds. They were duly republished by my erstwhile colleague Francis Pryor in his Catalogue of British and Irish Prehistoric Bronzes in the ROM (1980) no 117 [AP Leverhulme project on founding collection 1995-1998]

Search terms: Ornament, Reproduction, Cast, Neck Ornament

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