Ave!

Belt Mount, Celtic Trumpets, ca. 2nd Cent. AD

Copper alloy; 28mm/8.6gm

Con/ As Cast; three attachment rivets on the reverse, some roughness on the patina.

Ref/ A&L, AA 8.34 var.

Seller's Note/ Shortly after the Romans added the the provinces of Dalmatia and Moesia Superior to their growing empire, they began to recruit the local Celtic peoples into their armies. This belt mount, with its sinuous shape of two intertwined trumpets, is reflective of their own background and influence. 

Known as a carnyx, it was a type of trumpet made of bronze with an elongated S shape, held so that the long straight central portion was vertical and the short mouthpiece end section and the much wider bell were horizontal in opposed directions. The bell was styled in the shape of the head of an open-mouthed boar, wolf or other animal. It was used in warfare, probably to incite troops to battle and intimidate opponents, as Polybius recounts.The instrument's significant height allowed it to be heard over the heads of the participants in battles or ceremonies.  See the attached photo!

As the ancient Celts always blew battle horns before going into battle, wearing similar trumpets on their belt was a certain sign of being ready to go into war.