09-11-2014, 03:09 PM
Quote:I often wonder if the rings attached to the pommel nut ARE the decorations, themselves.
I don't think it's necessary to attach tassels or anything to those rings. If it's anything similar to the suspension rings seen
on gladius and pugio scabbards, it doesn't appear that all 4 rings are necessarily "used", it appears that it may have become a
personal preference for how they were suspended on the belt, etc.
With all of the "dangly" things on Roman Mid-Imperial period gear, between belt strap terminals, signum and vexillum standards, scabbards, even shield covers and bags (like the commachio find), it appears that fringe and dangly bits are common in that period. I don't think it's a stretch to think that some decorative rings on a sword pommel is possible.
It seems that the Roman military were well into being jangly, and these would jangle. My idea of suspension comes from Middle Eastern horse-archer practice. I am unable at the moment to find a depiction of this, however, I noticed someone using a ring-pommel in this manner in a movie I watched with the family at the weekend:
Robert Mason D.Phil (Oxon)
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
World Cultures, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2C6, Canada.
Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, University of Toronto, 4 Bancroft Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1C1, Canada.
E-mail: [email protected]
