Casgliadau Arlein

One fragment of mould from copper working. This fragment has a slight impression of shallow circular moulding for casting a plain round object, like the back of a decorative disc. The cast object would have a minimum radius of 2.75cm. Fabric: dark grey core and margins and an orange / light-brown external surface.

From Group A: Plain circular impressions Some moulds provide evidence for the casting of flat circular shapes, though only plain faces have been observed. The inner radius for the multiple mount casts appears to be of about 40mm. In view of the incomplete nature of the impressions, it is unclear whether any represent the plain backs of decorative metalwork cast as multiple discs (later separated and finished, as at Killucan, Co. Westmeath (O’Connor 2005, fig. 1b), brooches or mounts. Similar products may be represented by SF 472 from contexts 129/156. The lack of decoration on many impressions suggests that these are plain backs without fastening lugs; any externally decorated surfaces may have been thoroughly broken up post-casting.

Canoloesol Cynnar, dernyn mowld ceramig i gweithio copr