Chemical Composition: XRF data from Tracer
Alloy: Bronze
Alloying Elements: copper, tin
Other Elements: lead, iron, silver, antimony, arsenic
K. Eremin, January 2014
Technical Observations: The patina is mottled olive and light green, with reddish brown in the polished areas and light green matte corrosion crusts in some sections. There are a few bright orange red spots, especially on the back, that appear to be rust.
The mitra was formed from a sheet of bronze. It is not clear from the available evidence how this sheet was produced. The rounded top edge of the mitra was formed by bending it outward, probably over a wire, and the edges of the rounded section were rolled inward over a finer wire, much like the other mitrai in Harvard’s collection (1). The decorative ribs were created by repeatedly drawing a smooth pointed tool over the reverse surface, along with some hammering or punching from the reverse. The ribs were enhanced with finer, more carefully incised lines that were drawn on the front surface. X-radiography shows that the metal sheet is overall of relatively even thickness except for the ribs, which are much thinner. They are also discontinuous and uneven. A hollow ring is set in each of the three holes along the top edge of the mitra. The holes were cut into the sheet metal after the ribs were formed.
Most of the highly polished front (c. 70%) is original surface. Restoration may have resulted in some additional smoothing of the surface. The back surface is less polished and is covered by more corrosion and burial accretions. One side of the bottom is more pitted than the other, as can be seen by the “porous” appearance in the x-radiograph.
Disparate groups of parallel engraved lines formed by a broad, fine-toothed tool are visible and may have resulted from the original working of the sheet of metal or from subsequent cleaning.
NOTES:
1. For additional mitrai that are thought to be related to Harvard’s group, see H. D. Hoffmann and A. E. Raubitschek, Early Cretan Armorers (Mainz, 1972) esp. 10, 20, and 54-56.
Francesca G. Bewer (submitted 2000)