Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/96

48 sharp and good. The large number of similar patellæ found at Pompeii, and now in the Museo Borbonico, at Naples, favours the opinion that they were probably used for culinary purposes, rather than sacrificial, as had been suggested, from the fact of a thyrsus being engraved on the handle of the larger vessel, as shown by the accompanying representations of these ancient vessels. CHARLES TUCKER.

the early part of the last year a remarkable golden ornament, of a type, as far as I am aware, hitherto unpublished, was found on the Chiltern Hills, on the estates of Robert Fox, Esq., in the parish of Wendover. By the kind permission of that gentleman this relic of antiquity was exhibited at one of the meetings of the Institute: and my thanks are now due to him for enabling me to record the following particulars regarding the discovery.

It is an armilla, which, as shown by the representation here given (No. 1.), is of the class of ornaments bearing resemblance to certain forms of the torc, composed of one or more bars or wires of metal wreathed or twisted together. The name torc has, however, been generally used to designate collars and ornaments for the neck, the varieties of which have been so ably classified by Mr. Birch in previous volumes of this Journal.

This curious torc-armilla, if I may be permitted to use the term, now under consideration, is a wreath of four threads, composed of two rounded bars of considerable thickness, with two twisted wires, of much slighter dimensions, wound spirally between them. The whole is very skilfully wreathed together, and welded into one piece at the extremities, which taper towards a point, and are cut off obtusely without any indication of a hook or fastening. The weight of the bracelet is 4 oz. 12 dwts.