Unknown Maker, Roman

Utilitarian objects showed their makers’ careful observation of the natural world around them. Images of plants and animals abound on coins and household vessels.

—GB

In classical antiquity the technique most commonly used to create bronze objects was solid lost-wax casting. As this method results in heavy objects, it was reserved for small-scale elements such as this jug handle. To cast an object using the solid lost-wax method, first a wax model is shaped and then covered in clay. Next, this assemblage is baked; as the wax melts it flows from the model, creating a hollow mold that is then filled with molten bronze and allowed to cool. After several days, the clay mold is broken away to reveal the bronze object, which is then polished. Although the surface of this handle was polished in antiquity to reveal the warm glow traditionally associated with bronze, today it is left with a reddish to dark brown surface, which may be the result of exposure to moist air or soil conditions.