Cultures/periods: Celtic
Production date: 9thC-10thC
Found/Acquired: Europe: British Isles: England: Cumbria: Lake District: Furness
Materials: copper alloy; gold; lead
Hollow copper alloy casting of the front of the head, the mask extending just behind the ears and up to half of the crown. There is a non-gilded circular recess at the top. The hair is represented by thin furrows descending to a row of chevrons and ending in a tightly twisted fringe of curls diverging in the center. The eyebrows and beard on the face are worked out to the smallest detail. The ears are freestanding, with pelt detail, the mouth is slanted, and the eyes are large and originally inlaid. Much of the original gilding has been erased, and parts of the crown and cheeks are damaged. The back of the head is filled with a massive lead plug, trimmed and formed into a cushion-shaped base.