- Description
- A rare, 2nd century copper enamelled cockerel figurine that was found in an infant burial during excavations of the former Bridges Garage site, Cirencester, in 2011. It may originally have been mounted on a pedestal, as other surviving examples show. It is also the only example that has the tail piece still attached. The coloured enamel would have been a strikingly colourful mix of blue, red and yellow. Cockerels are the patron animal of Mercury and one of his roles was to ferry the souls of the dead to the afterlife. The hope perhaps with votive offerings such as this is that the god will notice the cockerel within the grave and lead the soul of the deceased to the afterlife.
- Object Name
- Cockerel
- Accession Number
- 2014/42/93
- Category
- roman
- Site Location
- Bridges Garage site, Cirencester
- Tags
- Roman, religion
- External Links
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