Het ijzeren gevest heeft op het kruisstuk een timpaan- vormige bronzen versiering met geparelde rand.
The IRON handle has a timpaan-shaped bronze decoration with a pearled edge.
Your picture shows the undecorated back side of the pugio. I have translated the tekst as accuratly as I could. So yes, this is what the RMO museum site says about that piece.
IMO this should be read as: "The iron tang //gevest// (so an integral part of the handle, not the whole one) bears a "tympanon"-shaped decoration from bronze-pearled-wire on its crosspiece //kruisstuk//
so: tang in iron, as usual, decoration in bronze, nothing said about the material of the "crosspieces", which I see as the t-shaped coverings of the tang. To me these pieces LOOK like the bronze of the sheath and the "tympanon-shaped decoration", not like the definite iron parts (blade), but I might be wrong....
Als Mensch zu dumm, als Schwein zu kleine Ohren...
The handle of the leuween pugio is in bronze...and scabbard too.remain to hundestand if the point were soldered or casted. The description of the museums are good like the hot beer.
The description of the museums are good like the hot beer.
Interesting but what does it mean? Warm beer in the UK is quite normal and I'm certain they had no coolers in Rome
Ivor
"And the four bare walls stand on the seashore. a wreck a skeleton a monument of that instability and vicissitude to which all things human are subject. Not a dwelling within sight, and the farm labourer, and curious traveller, are the only persons that ever visit the scene where once so many thousands were congregated." T.Lewin 1867
Actually, the grips are iron and then sheathed in copper alloy. I recall Crispus discussing this pugio and the information he had suggested a covering.
Why would someone have to mention the tang being of iron? The blade is iron and the tang follows from there unless there is something in the Roman record to suggest that an iron blade was welded or soldered to a brass tang.
So, it would be in this way. The tang, covered in wood, covered by the iron grips and finally copper alloy over the iron.
The reproduction shown here is ok. I know someone who is reproducing the the pugio exactly as described and it looks different than anything out there.
Also, there is no evidence of enameling in those cups. Putting enameling is not off the wall if someone likes it BUT, if you go for an actual copy, then no emaneling.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
I have read through Obmann and he does not mention what I said. I was going on what was said previously on RAT. So, it is possible the X or X may be correct. I have contacted the museum to put the issue to rest.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Have a look at this blown up picture of the grip plates. I am not sure what is going on here. Are the copper alloy plates folded over at the edges covering most of the grip? There is also a small gap in the middle of the grip. It appears as if only the metal tang is visible and the rest of the material in the grip is covered. Normally, pugio hilts that I have seen have the center completely exposed.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Oh.....I wrote the museum about the description and this is what I was given as a response.
"I have looked into the 'bronze covering' of the iron handle of our pugio, but I'm afraid the truth is less exotic than you concluded from the translation of the text. The iron dagger (Scott type B) has a sheath of bronze, with some decoration. I think the translation 'covered with bronze' is a bit misleading, and should read 'iron dagger with a sheath made of bronze. "
Is he suggesting the pugio is iron and covered in bronze in which case X or X is correct.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
Here is another photo I had stashed away. It gives a better view of the grip plates. It appears that the edges of the brass grip plates do indeed fold over and go towards the center of the grip only leaving a small space in between. It could be the angle the photo has been taken....but I am not so sure.
Maybe there are iron grip plates underneath and the brass rolls far down to cover the whole thing???? I am going to ask at the museum again to see if I can get some clarification.
Other daggers with iron grip plates to my knowledge do not have the grips folding over and coming down the sides. With the iron grip plates I am aware of, they expose the wood and tang completely. To my knowledge, this would be the first time grip plates nearly envelope the grip.
"You have to laugh at life or else what are you going to laugh at?" (Joseph Rosen)
I would not think there are any iron grip plates under the brass/bronze ones only maybe wood covering of the daggers iron tang, and the extended covering over the handle with the brass/bronze is not a difficult thing to do for the handle peices would have been punched out of this material.
Then the handle picture shown by Paolo is indeed the back of it for it does not show the brass decoration that was applied but it does of course show the extra covering extention over what would be the possible wood inner core.
