It was a sorry-looking object when it was unearthed in 2014 from a ploughed field in western Scotland, having been buried for almost a thousand years ago.
Now an extraordinary treasure has emerged – a spectacular Roman rock crystal jar wrapped in the most delicate gold thread by the finest medieval craftsman in the late 8th or early 9th century.
It was part of the Galloway Hoard, the richest collection of rare and unique Viking-age objects ever found in Britain or Ireland, acquired by the National Museums Scotland (NMS) in 2017.
Buried around AD900, it contained around 100 artefacts from the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, Ireland and as far away as Asia.
It was unearthed by Derek McLennan, a retired businessman, who was out with his metal detector on church-owned land in Kirkcudbrightshire, southwestern Scotland.
This Roman rock crystal jar was wrapped in delicate gold thread by some of the finest medieval craftsman in the late 8th or early 9th century
The small jar was found as part of the Galloway Hoard in 2014 and acquired three years later by the National Museums Scotland
The crystal jar’s base is decorated with swirling gold ornaments in a lavish display of wealth. The hoard was found by Derek McLennan, a retired businessman, who was out with his metal detector on church-owned land in Kirkcudbrightshire, southwestern Scotland
Experts were initially unaware of the jar’s value as it was shrouded in a shrivelled pouch that was masking its true value
Once the cleaning process started it became clear it was far more valuable than originally thought.