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Not currently on display at the V&A

The Hildburgh Fragment

Bowl
250-300 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Western Europe (made)

Copper alloy fragment from the side of a bowl, decorated on the outer surface with champlevé enamel of which only traces of blue, yellow and green survive across bands of ornament comprising dentilate, scrolling, rectangular, crenulate, crescent, and pointed quatrefoil patterns.


Object details

Categories
Enamels
Metalwork
Object type
Bowl
TitleThe Hildburgh Fragment (popular title)
Materials and techniques
copper alloy, champlevé enamel
Copper Alloy
Enamel
Enamelling
Brief description
Fragment from the side of a bowl, copper alloy, outer surface covered with traces of bands of ornament in champlevé enamel, 250-300AD.
Physical description
Copper alloy fragment from the side of a bowl, decorated on the outer surface with champlevé enamel of which only traces of blue, yellow and green survive across bands of ornament comprising dentilate, scrolling, rectangular, crenulate, crescent, and pointed quatrefoil patterns.
Dimensions
  • Height: 8.5cm
  • Width: 12.2cm
  • Approx. depth: 2cm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
DEPT. OF METALWORK ON LOAN FROM W.L. Hildburgh No. 202. Nov. 1921 (On paper label pasted to inside face of fragment)
Object history
Historical significance: This fragment was collected in northwest Spain, but its closests comparisons are Romano-British. Dr Cowen suggested in 1935 that a schematic representation of Hadrian's wall was intended in the bands of ornament on the exterior of this fragment and on the better-known Rudge Cup which is inscribed with names of forts located on the western end of the Wall.
Bibliographic references
  • Cowen, J. D. and Richmond, I. A. The Rudge Cup. Archaeologia Aeliana. 1935, 4th ser., vol. 12, pp.310-342.
  • Wright, R. P. A Parallel from Amiens for the Rudge Cup. The Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Magazine. Jun. 1951, vol. 54, no. 194, pp. 361-362.
  • Bateson, J. D. Enamel-working in Iron Age, Roman and Sub-Roman Britain: The Products and Techniques. 1981, BAR British Series 93.
  • Heurgon, Jacques. The Amiens Patera. The Journal of Roman Studies. 1951, vol. 41, parts 1 & 2, pp. 22-24.
  • Allason-Jones, Lindsay. 'The Hildburgh Fragment'. In: Breeze, David J., ed. The First Souvenirs: Enamelled Vessels from Hadrian's Wall. Kendal: Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 2012. ISBN 9781873124581.
Other number
202 - Previous loan number
Collection
Metalwork Collection
Accession number
M.78-1949

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O295567/the-hildburgh-fragment-bowl-unknown/
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