from Pitalpin, Angus
This bronze bracelet, of a type known as a spiral or 'snake' bracelet, was found at Pitalpin in Angus. It is a product of a local tradition of metal working specific to the North-east of Scotland during the 1st or 2nd century AD.
The bracelet was made by casting a long bronze rod, then coiling it into shape. First a negative impression with the decoration for the body and snake head ends was probably cut into wood. Then a wax model was made from the depression.
After tooling this was coated with clay to form a mould into which the bronze was poured. The long rod was then coiled by a process of annealing, hammering and quenching.
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