Roman Bronze Situla
1st century B.C.-1st century A.D. Comprising a bell-shaped bowl, everted rim, shallow foot and round-section articulate handle; split, base absent. Cf. Boucher, S. and Tassinari, S., Bronzes Antiques I, Inscriptions, Statuaire, Vaisselle, Paris, 1976, p.129, no.150, for similar vessel.560 grams, 20 cm wide (7 7/8 in.). Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection. Situla (plural situlae), from the Latin word for bucket or pail, is the term in archaeology and art history for a variety of elaborate bucket-shaped vessels from the Iron Age to the Middle Ages, usually with a handle at the top. Roman styles favoured a simple shape curving from the base, becoming vertical at the top, with a wide mouth and no shoulder, but sometimes with a projecting rim. These had a variety of uses, including aiding with washing and bathing. [No Reserve]