ancientanimalart: Boar protome from a yoke fitting 2nd century…

ancientanimalart:

Boar protome from a yoke fitting

2nd century CE

According to the description at the source, it seems that the Celts originated the use of the front half of a boar in designs like this and the Romans adopted it from them to use on horse harnesses. This object uses the tip of an elephant’s tusk where normally one would find a boar’s tusk, thus (according to the source), it “imitates a supernaturally large boar tooth.” They go on to say that there is no firm evidence for ivory crafting north of the Alps, so we can assume that this was created elsewhere. 

from Augusta Raurica (Augst, Switzerland)

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