Casgliadau Arlein

Fragment of bronze plaque with deeply concave shaped upper side. The plaque is incised with a decorative border of three parallel lines following the outline edges of the plaque. In addition, the plaque has been perforated five times, with carefully shaped circular holes, four of similar diameter and the fifth notably smaller. On the upper surface, the sides of these holes have angled sides about 1.0mm in width. This is absent on the under surface. It would appear that these perforations have some symmetry, the fragment representing about one half of the original width of the plaque. A further border of three incised parallel lines bisects the metal between the side and middle perforations, running parallel to the side border (i.e. vertical and at near right angles with the top curved border. The left vertical line butts with the inner border line of the top border, the central vertical line crosses the inner top border and butts the central line, whilst the right vertical crosses inner and central top border, buting with the outer line of the concave top surface border. The right vertical line is only traceable near the top, the other two continuing up to and beyond the lower break. The reverse side is plain, suggesting that the plaque was once applied to another surface. In side view, the plaque is straight. The original edges of the plaque have been slightly rounded on the top surface, yet remain angled on the base. The surface has a grey-green patina.