BRITISH AND MEDIEVAL ANTIQUITIES. 65 



II. — A cquisitions. 



The most important acquisitions of the year are the 

 portions of the bequest by the late Sir Augustus WoUaston 

 Franks, k.c.b., which fall to this department. These, as well 

 as the other antiquities passing to the museum under his will, 

 are described in a following section. 



Exclusive of this important bequest, and of the additions 

 to the Christy Collection, the principal acquisitions are the 

 following : — 



(I.) Early British and Prehistoric Antiquities : — 



Two flint implements found by the donor at Barton Cliff, 

 Hampshire ; presented by Mr. D. Flynn. 



A flint axe head found on the beach at Goring, Sussex, 

 presented by Frank P. Reid, Esq. A flint flake, worked, 

 found near Swathling, Hampshire; presented by G. S. Perceval, 

 Esq. 



Two hoards of bronze implements, presented by Sir A. Wol- 

 laston Franks, k.c.b. ; the first from Southall, Middlesex, 

 includes a double bronze mould for a socket celt, contain- 

 ing portions of a lead celt, palstaves, a large ring, etc. ; the 

 second from Gray's Thurrock, Essex, consists chiefly of 

 socket celts and a gouge. A bronze socket celt found 

 at Picton, near Hitchin, Herts ; a bronze palstave with 

 loop, found at Llangollen ; presented by Sir A. Wollaston 

 Franks, k.c.b. 



Three silver bracelets found in Ireland ; and a wooden 

 model of a pottery vessel with ornament of late Celtic 

 character, from the British lake-dwelling at Glastonbury ; 

 presented by Arthur Bulleid, Esq., F.S.A. 



The most important acquisition in this section is the find 

 of gold ornaments from the North of Ireland, exhibited before 

 the Society of Antiquaries of London in January 1897, and 

 published in " Archseologia," vol. 55, p. 391. The find consists 

 entirely of objects of gold, viz., a collar with ornament of late 

 Celtic character in relief, a twisted collar of solid wire and 

 part of a second similar one, two neck-chains, a bowl of very 

 thin metal, and a model of a boat, with oars and other 

 implements. 



This important find is of exceptional interest at the British 

 Museum, as the objects, which may be attributed to the 

 beginning of the Christian era, belong to a class specially 

 connected with Britain, and in which the Britons attained to 

 greater perfection than did any of their continental kindred. 

 The Museum, moreover, possesses already the most important 

 collection of bronze remains of this period of culture, which 

 these gold objects will supplement and enrich in a useful 

 way. 



174. K 



