Casgliadau Arlein

Two small fragments of mould from copper working. One is severely abraded and undiagnostic, the other has a casting surface with a plain circular impression for casting a plain object, perhaps the back of a decorative disc. Fabric: light orange-brown core and soot blackened external surfance; partially reduced light grey?

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, dau ddarnau mowld ceramig i gweithio copr