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Description: | Cast copper-alloy harness pendant of probable 13th- or 14th-century date.
The harness pendant is in the shape of a six-petalled flower (sub-hexagonal), and sub-oval (D shaped) in cross-section. On the topmost petal is a integrally cast suspension loop which is set at 90 degrees to the plane of the pendant. The pendant measures 28.9mm in length, 23.4mm in width, and is 3.8mm thick. The suspension loop is 9.8mm in length, 2.4mm in width and 6.5mm thick. The pendant weighs 7.94g.
Each of the six petals of the pendant are lentoid (tear-drop)in shape and are joined at the centre to form a circle. These petals were originally gilt, but much of this has been worn away and little now adheres to the surface. The reverse of the pendant is plain and shows no trace of gilt. This suggests that only the front of the pendant was decorated.
The suspension loop is plain with a central cast rivet hole. This hole has a large amount of iron staining and rust marks around it, which suggests it might originally have been attached to the harness by an iron rivet.
The harness pendant has a mid-brown even patina with many patches of mid-green inactive corrosion. Many of the surfaces are also pitted which is probably due to corrosion or soil conditions. The pendant has also been abraded in the soil, hence its asymmetrical appearance.
Similarly shaped horse-harness pendants have been dated to the middle of the medieval period, specifically the 13th and 14th century (Griffiths: 1986: Horse Harness Pendants. Finds Research Group Data Sheet 5). | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | http://www.findsdatabase.org.uk/hms/pas_... | Language: | en-GB | Go to resource |
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