Casgliadau Arlein

Twenty-one fragments of sheeting which can be partially reconstructed to produce two incomplete panels with engraved and cut-out detail, with further details picked out with tinning or silvering for colour contrast. The two panels are each framed by a raised repousse line lightly punched to suggest beading, and by a further series of approximately three raised repousse lines along the top and bottom. Between the two panels is a plain narrow silvered panel with the remains of a nail-hole towards the centre. Another panel seems to have continued below the second, lower decorative panel. At an angle and attached along the right-hand side is what was originally a continuous series of raised repousse lines. A further fragment (2354 (616)) with cut-outs and traces of decoration almost certainly belongs to this group. These fragments represent the upper decorative panels from a Roman military sword scabbard. The plain centre panel would have taken a sword mount as No. ill above with rings for attachment for the straps of the sword-belt. The cut-outs would have revealed the leather of the scabbard underneath and made a contrast with the polished copper alloy and the tinned or silver detail on the sheeting. From the upper panel traces can be made out on the right-handside of a vexillum, with part of the fringed cloth and the ?handgrip, and towards the centre left perhaps part of the skirt or tunic hem of a figure. The lower panel shows, in the upper centre left, part of the upper portion of the vexillum and towards the right-hand side a Victory advancing left in left profile with a stylised palm branch over her left shoulder and her skirts billowing out behind her. Below her is a lentoid-shaped object, probably intended as a shield in side view, thrown down, and perhaps suggesting the captured spoils of an unnamed enemy.