Basse Yutz Flagons

The beaked flagons of Basse Yutz are Celtic ceremonial drinking vessels from the Iron Age to the 5th century BC They were excavated in the 1920s in poor circumstances documented and subsequently sold to the British Museum in London.

Discovery

The two vessels and two bronze stamnoi were found in 1927 during road construction in Basse Yutz on the Moselle River in eastern France and probably came from the grave of a Celtic dignitary. Within 2 years after the discovery they were sold for the considerable sum of £ 5000 to the British Museum.

Description

The pair of nearly identical bill cans imitates the shape of contemporary Etruscan vessels. They have been sharpened from the sheet metal of a copper alloy. The cast base with 120 red coral chips and glass decorated and then secured with a resin to the metal jacket. The cast spout and lid are fastened with pins in a cavity in the copper sheet. X-ray studies showed that the resin and the pins were the only joining process used, but beyond that there are solder residue of repairs from the 20th century.

The handle is in the shape of a dog and below a human face and shows the Greek or Etruscan influence. The spout with a duck is exclusively Celtic origin. The eyes of the dog and the duck were created with a complex drills from the same craftsman. The vessels are each about 40 cm high.

The cans are among the highlights of the Celtic La Tène art. They show the trade relations of the Celts with distant peoples: The basic idea of ​​the flagon comes from Italy, palm leaf-like ornaments are a sign of cultural connection with Egypt and the tin in the copper alloy is probably from Cornwall in England.

Comments

• Cult vessel
• Archaeological sites ( Celts )
• Archaeological sites (France)
• British Museum