Details

IPSMG:R.2007.28.1

Ipswich Collections

phalera, disc, bronze and silver disc / phalera from horse harness

Piece of the Holbrook Horse Harness - Round bronze phalera (disc), covered with a thin layer of silver and delicately decorated with curling vine leaves. The central section of the disc is indented, and ringed with 2 slightly raised bands. The middle of the disc is decorated with 6 small engraved lines, which splay outwards from a small domed piece of metal in the centre. There are 4 metal loops on the reverse of the disc - 2 of which are conjoined. The 2 conjoined loops, and 1 of the individual loops, have metal harness fixings attached. These can move freely. The harness fixings take the form of narrow strips of metal, folded in half with a small bolt through the centre from one side to the other. This piece of a Roman military horse harness was found in Holbrook in 2004, along with 35 other harness fittings and over 70 smaller fragments of the harness. The hoard dates to the revolt of Boudica in AD 60 - 61. It is possible that this was war loot buried by one of her followers. Unusually, some of the leather sections of the harness have survived due to their proximity to the copper alloy. The closed association of the harness pieces is unique in Britain; although there are groups of phalerae from Fremington Hagg and Ribchester, these are old finds and not so clearly a single harness.

1960

1st Century

bronze, silver