Part of ship decoration?

[Lee S]

Here is the 3rd of the 4 bits and bobs I recently picked up.... it looks like the hind end of a ship to me.... and by it’s totally flat reverse side I presume it was a decoration of some kind.
   The material I’m unsure of... it doesn’t have the weight of bronze... and has a tinny, almost ceramic feel to it when knocked.... ( also non-magnetic...)
   Any help as always... much appreciated!!

  Thanks,

Lee S.

[Arados]

I might be way of the mark and slightly biased, but your mysterious artifact reminds me of a triple pointed ram (Phoenician galley).

Nice to see you back on Forvm Lee.

[Lee S]

Thanks Arados, this strange little artifact has been placed by my daughter in my “cabinet of interesting things” 
      I hope one of our illustrious members can pin it down...  it’s certainly in your sphere of interest...!!!
     Anyway, it would look nice... cleaned up a little, and carefully mounted on a wooden base....   

  Lee S.

[SC]

I am afraid that the likeness to a ship part is purely coincidental.  The ends are broken. 

It was once part of a bronze sickle.  Appears to be the part where the "blade" and "handle" join.  Though these items were more proto-money, or a store of wealth or means of transporting bronze than an actual tool. 

It is quite old, likely first half of first millennia BC. 

It might be high tin content bronze.

SC

[Lee S]

Thank you once more Otlichnik!!
    One more question, after a bit of google searching I failed to find any pictures of a bronze sickle with quite as ornate decorations.... do you think I would be wise to attempt to clean it up to show the engravings off to better effect? And if so would my standard coin cleaning technique of distilled water and carful  picking away at the encrustations be suitable for high tin content bronze?
   Thanks for all the help!

Best wishes

Lee.

[SC]

I worry a bit that there are spots of dark brown where the bronze shows through.  Makes me fear that the green patina might be brittle.  You could try cleaning but be careful and try little spots.

I googled (actually I use duckduckgo) "decorated Bronze Age sickle" and found images of fairly similar ones.

SC

[Plumbata]

I agree, it is definitely the broken "handle" portion of a Sickle, and numerous very similar examples with the diagonal lines on the raised ribs have come to market recently.