Medieval Censer — The Complete Fragment

Fragments of Medieval bronze vessels were fairly frequent finds during my metal-detecting forays into central Essex. Most fields held one or two pieces if there had been activity there during the Medieval period, which in the areas that I was searching meant absolutely because I cannot remember anywhere that had not. 

Broken up cooking pots of various shapes and sizes — not decorated in any way but identifiable as chunks of cauldrons or skillets by their regular wall thickness and curvature. Occasionally a cauldron foot would be found. I thought that the most exciting thing to discover in this class of find would have been the anthropomorphic or zoomorphic handle ear from a chafing dish or the spout from a ewer but I never did find either one of those. 

Typical bronze vessel finds — a foot and a large body fragment found in close proximity to one another but probably not from the same cauldron. 

I always liked to find these mundane items. Not because they held any great value as objects in their own right but because other more interesting things would surely follow them.

I also wondered ~ 

"Why were there were so many of them?" 

"Why never was a second fragment of the same pot ever found?"

I concluded that such pieces of scrap metal were destined eventually to join the Medieval non-ferrous metal pool, but in the meantime were in circulation and likely used as currency in sub-farthing level exchanges. 

They were valuable. Maybe a loaf of bread valuable?

They were also exactly as commonplace as were finds of medieval coinage...

Actual size = 57.5 x 39.5mm

Then, one day, I was out and about on what had always proven to be a quiet and quite dull field. However, it was one that I thought held some promise — even though it never seemed to want to fulfil it! 

Once again, I turned up yet another boring bronze vessel fragment. However, on closer inspection I could make out decorations of odd sorts and when the clods of earth were broken away the centre fell out revealing a rather familiar looking keyhole-shaped hole. 

This incised decor — when I began to appreciate it — was truly fascinating! 

I had never seen anything like it before — have seen nothing quite like it since! 

All kinds of strange squiggles, zig-zags and hatchings and even plant fronds with neat little leaves. I just thought it a strange, strangle thing, and sat there in the dirt for a long time trying to fathom it ~ 

After a while I came to my senses and firmly decided there and then, that this was indeed a piece of something very interesting, and probably a very rare discovery… 

A Medieval censer, no less!

Enamelled censer from Limoges, France. 

The piece lay in my small collection of ‘Top Drawer Medieval’ for many years until just recently when I decided to reconstruct as best I could, a few of my incomplete or damaged finds.  I've made a start with some easier projects which have turned out well. 

This will not be easy — I know it. However, it will be a treat because what I think is remarkable about this fragment is its completeness! 

Little seems to be missing in the way of information...

I reckon that by closely studying the sheer wealth of invaluable clues contained in its shapes and forms, that it would be that rare fragment that perhaps I could possibly reconstruct as almost an entire object. 

It would take a great deal of homework and graft, but… 

I'd set out to try!