Bronze handle for something??

[Lee S]

Hi uys....
   This is the last of the 4 artifacts I acquired a short while ago...it has a beautiful patina, and is formed perfectly to fit on a curved something...
  But once again I’m clueless... Victorian or Roman?
   Any help , as always.... very much appreciated!!
Best wishes...

Lee S.

[SC]

Roman.

These were attached to the edges of metal pots or trays.  The pot or tray was made of thinner copper while the handle is thick bronze.  It is just missing on of the ends that attached to the pot or tray.

SC

[Lee S]

And thank you again Otlichnik! Your deep knowledge of ancient artifacts is invaluable!! ( and it turns out that the 4 pieces I picked up are more interesting than I could have hoped for! You have led me down rabbit holes and increased my understanding! Great fun )

Best wishes

Lee.

[SC]

Here is a decorated version of one end of such a handle from my collection.  You can see it is decorated in the form of a horse.

SC

[Jay GT4]

Both are nice pieces.  Sometimes I see these referred to as Roman helmet handles but I think an ordinary pot handle is more likely.

[SC]

The only handles ever found on helmets are very simple types, fairly squared in profile instead of rounded, usually diamond cross-section, and with a simple terminals/ends.

Unfortunately, the exact same type found on the few surviving helmets are found much, much more often associated with boxes and furniture.

So sadly all we could say with the specific squared off type is it could be either helmet or box/furniture and odds are the latter.

Some authors have claimed that the dolphin handles were also used on helmets (again they are also 100% known from boxes and furniture) but I have never been able to find an image of an authentic helmet found with an intact dolphin handle and every dolphin handle I have seen has ends that are too thick to be useful on helmets.

The type shown in this thread were attached (soldered ??) to the item.  That would be odd for helmets as they would not bend or rotate and would make carrying the helmet very awkward.

SC

[Lee S4]

As an update to this thread ( new user name... I changed my phone and forgot my log.in...)
     I gave this item to my father as a birthday present... He has made a nice little stand for it...
So far, so good... Then he told me he is thinking of stripping and polishing half of it to show it's original look, to compare "before and after...1500 years"
   Of course I shouted "NOOOOO", but after some thought, as it's not a particularly rare or valuable item, it might be kind of cool... ( And it's his , so he can do what pleased him..), but I thought I would throw this idea out here for both opinions, and more importantly, chances of success....

   Any thoughts much appreciated!

Lee.

[SC]

Looks like a mix of dirt with lots of soft / weak patina.  Could do with a cleaning.  Striping it would be extreme but not unheard of.  As there is not much to preserve.

Personally I would clean it first, then see whether it has BD.

SC

[Lee S]

Yay.... I got my account back! Thanks Joe!
     I'm sorry if my last post was misleading... I cleaned this item with only DW and a cut down tooth brush... The green patina is both solid and attractive... absolutely no bd..  With a spot of renwax and a polish it is amazingly attractive... I wouldn't touch it...( Sorry I have no photos "after")
    But my father wants to strip half of it down to shiny metal to show the contrast a millennium and a half can make... I like the idea.... As a teaching tool it could be nice... But what are the chances of stripping it back to bare.. untouched shiny bronze?