Ave!

Celtic, Amulet or Talisman, Unique! WOW!

Copper alloy; 24mm x 4mm / 9.6gm 

Con/ As Cast and Engraved; unblemished glossy dark green patina.

Ref/ None, of course.

Seller's Note/ A very curious object, indeed, and what the obverse represent? A celticized owl, perhaps? Perhaps a phallic symbol? Most likely we'll never know for sure. 

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" Sherlock Holmes.

This beautiful Celtic artifact was never a brooch nor was it 'the kind of thing that was attached to a kettle/pot/cauldron' as one expert surmised. But such an enterically engraved artifact was most certainly NOT slapped onto the side of a kettle, right?  

Now that we have eliminated the impossible, our best guess is that it has to be either and amulet or a talisman. An amulet is an object that protects the user from negative influences, while a talisman is an object that attracts specific positive outcomes, such as luck, health, or success. Amulets are essentially a form of defense, like a shield, whereas talismans are a form of manifestation or attraction. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but the key distinction lies in their intended purpose: to ward off or to bring forth.

So, why is the amulet/talisman in such extraordinary condition? Our only explanation is that it had to have been resting deep in muddy/wet ground where the absence of free oxygen caused an anaerobic environment that slowed the degradation of bronze.  Extremely Rare, this was ground found in an ancient Celtic settlement south of the River Drava.