bronze pan with medusa head the british museum london england

navigate by keyword : 1881 apotropaic art birds body britain british bronze central century common condition copper corroded craftsmanship decorative depicts design england excellent face forming found gazed god golden gorgon grave handle handles head image inlay kent known latin leaves london mask medusa motif museum niello ornament pan pans patera poor power powerful providing quality repel replaced restoration rim roman roundel shallow sheet silver stone surrounded survived symbol terminates turn very vessel wreath

Bronze pan with medusa head at the British Museum in London England Royalty Free Stock Photo

Bronze pan with medusa head at the British Museum in London England

Roman Britain, 1st century AD From Faversham, Kent Shallow pans of this kind with handles are usually known by the Latin term patera. This example was found in a Roman grave in 1881. Though the quality of the design and craftsmanship is excellent, it was in poor condition. The rim, handle and central ornament survived, but the thin sheet bronze forming the body of the vessel had corroded away, and is now replaced by restoration. The inlay in silver, copper and niello originally providing colour-contrasts white, red and black to the golden bronze. The central roundel depicts the head of the gorgon Medusa surrounded by a wreath of leaves and birds. The face of Medusa had the power to turn to stone those who gazed upon it. Her image was therefore a powerful apotropaic symbol one that can repel evil. It is a very common decorative motif in Roman art. The handle terminates in a mask of the god Pan.